The Winterhold Five
by Gangyzgirl
Summary: Everyone knows KaNack as the leader of the Dark Brotherhood. Few know his story as a mage and a loyal supporter of the Empire. With his close friends- Brelyna, Brelas, Onmund and J'Zargo, the Argonian embarks the Civil War to bring the tyranny of Ulfric Stormcloak to an end.
1. Second Chance

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story takes place two years before No Man Left Behind. It covers the story-line of the War on the Imperial's side. The Dark Brotherhood will make little to no appearance. In this fiction, the main focus is the mages and will focus on their loyalty and camaraderie with one another. **

* * *

Five young mages stood before the imposing gates of Solitude, their heads arched upward as they took in the impressive structure before them. They were all gifted in the Arcane Arts, but were a group made up of different races.

"Wow, you weren't kidding. This place is huge."

Onmund the Nord, a proud yet humble man that was an expert in the castings of frost spells.

"The guards up there look like ants! Hi! Hey, down here! Can you see all of Skyrim from that vantage point?"

Brelas the Wood Elf, feisty and energetic, her wielding of fire made her as dangerous as she was beautiful.

"J'Zargo did not come here to take in the sights. He came here to join in the fight against the rebellion. J'Zargo will kill many Stormcloaks."

J'Zargo the Khajiit, he was arrogant as they came, but his skills in his lightning casts gave warrant to his boasting.

"Well, we came all this way. No sense in delaying it any longer; are you ready, KaNack?"

Brelyna the Dark Elf, a quiet and kind caster, her training was specific in the art of restoration magic. She was a gifted healer.

"Yes, just give me a minute. This is the first time in years that I'm coming here as the Dragonborn. I'm not sure of the reception I am going to receive."

KaNack the Argonian, he was an expert conjurer as well as the legendary Dovahkiin. Not only was he gifted in the Arcane Arts, but possessed the ability to Shout Thu'ums like the mighty dragons that prowled the land. What was not known about him was that he was the Listener and leader of the infamous guild of assassins, the Dark Brotherhood.

Solitude was the capital city of Skyrim; set upon great stone which was bordered by the Karth River and surrounded by the impressive peaks of the Haafingar Mountains. Towering walls made up of strong blocks of rock encircled the city and for years had withstood the wear and tear of enemy forces that tried to invade it. Solitude was damn near impenetrable.

The five mages entered the stronghold and began to walk along the stony pathway that was surrounded by the local market and shops. Anything one might possibly need for a journey could be obtained in this city, but the casters did not come here for shopping.

This stronghold was not only the headquarters to the Imperial Legion, but the Thalmor as well. Only a fool would dare to try and commit acts of treason within the walls with such a threat guarding over it; a fool or a very clever assassin.

Three years prior, the group had taken a vow that once they had completed their studies in magic at the College of Winterhold, they would join the Imperial Legion led by General Tullius where their skills could be put to better use in defending their home and beliefs.

The Imperials had been at war with the rebellious Nords of Skyrim ever since the Jarl of Windhelm, Ulfric Stormcloak, had killed the High King in a malicious attempt to seize the throne. Just like KaNack, Ulfric had the ability to Shout, but used his voice not to assist Skyrim, but to selfishly try and attain a higher status that he felt he was deserving of.

Ulfric Stormcloak was known as many things outside of his loyal followers. He was considered a kingslayer, an opportunist and a racist. Khajiits and Argonians were forbidden to even enter Windhelm while the Dunmer were secluded to rundown and dismal parts of the city. Cruel treatment and racial slurs were not uncommon to be handed out by Stormcloak sympathizers.

KaNack felt a lump in his stomach as he got closer to the Imperial Legion headquarters in Castle Dour. He looked over at his four companions and saw nothing but anticipation in their eyes. They had no reason to be nervous; they had not wronged Tullius or the Empire in any way. The red and black reptile's conscious was not as clear as his friends' were.

Years ago, KaNack had been discovered to be the Dragonborn of Nordic legend and General Tullius had hoped that he would be the driving force needed to finally bring the war to an end. The commander had not taken into account the fact that the Argonian might not be ready for his duties as the Dovahkiin and simply vanish off the face of Tamriel one day.

KaNack was not prepared for the huge burden that had been placed on him. The mage had to undergo years of training and strife before he believed that it was time to return and take responsibility for his actions. The caster was older, stronger and unlike before, he was surrounded by friends who cared about him and he had come to trust with his life.

The conjurer had found it hard to get along with people in Skyrim. Somehow though, he had come upon this motley crew and could not imagine life without them.

KaNack had fallen in love with the Dark Elf Brelyna the moment he first laid eyes on her and now she was his adoring wife.

Despite the reputation of Nords despising elves, Onmund and Brelas were smitten with one another and proved that the Stormcloaks were not a proper representation of the Nordic race in general.

The Khajiit, J'Zargo, had started out as a bitter rival for the reptile, but over time the two had learned to finally respect each other when they found out that they had something in common- they both hated Ulfric Stormcloak and wanted him dead.

The five came to a halt in front of the large steel doors of Castle Dour. Once they stepped inside everything was going to change. The mages would no longer be kept safe behind the gates of Winterhold or under the protective watch of their beloved Arch Mage, Savos.

KaNack swallowed and his hand trembled as he hesitated to push open the door.

"Come on, Lizard Wizard!" hissed the Khajiit, always the impatient one, as he crossed his arms. "We don't have all day!"

"J'Zargo," started the Argonian quietly, "it's been years since I've faced the General. I'm not quite sure how he is going to react once he sees me."

Onmund let out a sigh and made his way to the front, pushing the door open himself. "Whatever happens, happens," he insisted before entering the castle without a second thought. "We took a vow! Now is not the time to get cold feet!"

The reptile grunted as he felt someone forcefully push him inside after the Nord. Glaring over his shoulder, he saw the amused face of Brelas. The Wood Elf chuckled lightly and strode past him, followed by the eager Khajiit. Brelyna gently took a hold of the Argonian's arm and smiled warmly at him.

"KaNack, we're all here for you. Whatever the General does once he recognizes you, know that your friends are here and we won't let anything bad happen."

The Dunmer's words did give KaNack some peace of mind. She leaned up to kiss him on his scaly cheek before leading him through the narrow passage in the castle. The two mages found themselves in a dim stone chamber where the other three were greeting two people that the Argonian was very familiar with.

One was the proud and strong Imperial, General Tullius, and the other was the brawny and fearless Nord, Legate Rikke. She was one of the Imperial Legion's most trusted and loyal officers and had no time or patience for nonsense of any kind. KaNack and she had never gotten along when he was still working alongside the Empire.

"Are my men giving free reign to anyone who wanders into the castle?" the commander grumbled, giving the J'Zargo a dark look as he leaned up from the map of Skyrim. "Do you have some reason to be here, citizens?"

KaNack remained hidden behind the group, not ready to face Tullius yet. Brelyna kept a gentle hold on his arm and leaned against her husband, trying to settle his nerves.

"General Tullius!" Onmund announced proudly as he saluted the man before him. "We have all come from Winterhold so that we can join the Imperial Army and fight the Stormcloaks!"

"Isn't Winterhold under the influence of the Stormcloaks? Sure you are on the right side?" Tullius growled not at all pleased that his preparation for his next move in the war had been interrupted by a gang of youths. He turned to his officer and gestured towards the group with his hand. "Rikke, I believe recruiting is your area?" Leaving her to handle the mages, the Imperial returned to the table to resume working.

"You're a little small for a Nord, aren't you?" the Legate remarked as she approached the group and scowled at the Nordic mage before her. "Wait, you're from Winterhold?" She shook her head in disappointment. "That explains your shrouds. So you're a pack of mages? You must be fresh ones if you've only just left that college."

The Nord turned her nose up at the crew before her. "Sorry, we don't need young casters who will turn around and run the second the battle starts to become too dangerous for them." She shook her head dismissively. "I am sure you mean well, but we've worked with casters in the past and were terribly disappointed."

"Run away?!" Brelas snapped as her hands burst out in flames. "We are not spellcasting children! We've fought before!"

Onmund and J'Zargo quickly grabbed the Wood Elf's hands and pulled them down.

"J'Zargo thinks burning the Legate's face off is not the best first impression," the cat muttered to her.

"She's just a little spitfire, isn't she?" growled Rikke.

"Please, give us a chance!" Onmund pleaded as he let go of the Bosmer and held out his hands towards the woman. "Ulfric Stormcloak himself came to our town years ago and attacked us! His presence is a threat to everyone, mages included! We've been training for years just so that we would be ready to fight alongside the Imperial Army!"

"Ulfric attacked you?" the General stated as he could not help but overhear the conversation. "Oh, yes. I think I remember receiving word about that. "A frown formed on Tullius face as he stared at Onmund. "From what I heard, he almost killed one of the students. Believe me, the Empire cares about all those whom are loyal to it. You're all fresh out of the school and right now you think you're invincible, but this war is not for the meek." Leaving it at that, the General returned to looking over his plans.

"J'Zargo is not meek," the feline grumbled.

"You'd be going into the fight with no armor and only a limited supply of magicka to power your attacks. None of you would survive the first encounter with the Stormcloaks." Rikke pointed towards the door. "Just go back to your school and continue your studies."

"We've only just gotten here!" Brelas snapped. "You don't know us or what we are capable of! Maybe if you allow mages to join your legion you will have an advantage over Ulfric and his men!"

"I understand why you feel this way, Legate Rikke. Nords by trade don't embrace magic and think it's the tool of cowards," Onmund said as he stared defiantly at her. "I know I've faced my share of ridicule for becoming a mage, but it won't be the Stormcloaks laughing when they experience firsthand the powers of the Arcane Arts! The rebels not being used to facing casters is what will give you a leg up in this war."

"I just don't trust mages," stated the officer as she pointed towards the door once more. "You'd just run off like the other one did. There is no place for you in this war; go back to your school where your skills might be put to some better use."

KaNack had heard enough from the officer and made his way to the front of the group. "Do you not trust mages because of me?"

The Imperial's head slowly lifted and his gray eyes widened in shock as he recognized the mage who had nudged his way to the front of the group. It had been years since he had last seen him and the Argonian had grown in size a bit, but he could never forget those red and black markings.

"By the Eight," muttered Rikke as she took a few steps back at the sight of the reptile. "Dragonborn?"

"You," the General uttered darkly as he stormed forward and stood toe-to-toe with the conjurer before him. "You have a lot of nerve showing your face here, absconder!"

"I have no idea what that word means, I'll just assume it's something bad," the reptile answered as he rested his hands on his hips and tried to hide the fact that deep within he was intimidated by the man's presence. "Tullius, it's been some time."

"That's General Tullius to you!" the commander demanded angrily. "How dare you come in here like you belong! You abandoned the Imperial Legion! You left your duty as the Dragonborn! Because of you, hundreds of lives have been lost!"

A shiver ran up the mage's spine and KaNack turned his head to look behind him. The sight of his wife and friends gave him all the encouragement he needed to stand up to the furious Imperial before him.

"General, I was very young. I was thrown into this without warning and with little to no instruction. I would have been useless to you if I had stayed." A smile formed on his scaled face. "Now I am older and much more skilled. I am prepared to join you and fight the Stormcloaks!" KaNack gestured to the mages behind them. "These are four of the finest casters I know, and all of us have taken a vow to serve you loyally and fight for the liberation of Skyrim!"

Brelyna and the others made their way forward so that they were all standing alongside the Argonian.

"None of us will be running away, General Tullius," the Dunmer insisted in a small voice. "We know the hazards of war and have had firsthand experience as to just how dangerous the Stormcloaks can be. Yet, here we are, willing to fight."

"The fact that you are associated with this reptile gives me all the more reason to have not have faith in any of you!" Tullis barked as he kept his furious stare up with the Dragonborn. "KaNack, you disappear without so much as a word and you expect me to just welcome you and your friends into the Legion?" he asked as his entire body stiffened up. "You're a coward, KaNack. I don't need or want cowards fighting alongside my men and getting them killed."

"Cowards?" snarled the Argonian as his lip curled up in a snarl. "You're calling my friends cowards?" He pointed a claw in the General's face. "They faced Ulfric Stormcloak without a second thought when he came to Winterhold! You only had the guts to do so when he was gagged! We've come here because we want to stand up for our rights! Ulfric's intolerable nature has hurt every single one of us! Who are you to deny us our right to fight for what we believe in?!"

"Stand DOWN!"

The voice was incensed and booming. It rattled the stone walls of the chamber and upset everyone who was in the room. Even the Argonian took a step back from the might of General Tullius' bellowing shout. Brelas had been so startled that she forgot herself and was more than slightly embarrassed to find herself hiding behind Onmund.

"Well," chuckled the reptile, once again smirking trying to not let the Imperial think that he had intimidated him. "I didn't know you could produce Thu'ums of your own, General."

"Obnoxious and brazen as you ever were," the commander muttered as he shook his head in disappointment, staring daggers at the mage before him. "Nothing can change the fact that you deserted us when we needed you, Dragonborn. You ran away once and that means you it could happen again. I am not willing to have any more of my soldiers die because of you."

"They will continue to die if you don't accept our help," the reptile stated calmly. "When Ulfric came to Winterhold, he told me that whoever had the Dragonborn on their side would have an advantage in this war. It does not matter what happened in the past, the fact is that I am here now and I am ready to help you!"

"If the past did not matter, no one would care that Ulfric murdered High King Torygg," the General said miserably as he turned away from the group and took a seat by the table where the map was laid out. "You really disappointed me that day, KaNack. I had thought that maybe you had been killed or captured, but when the Greybeards sensed your presence in Ivarstead, I knew then that you had simply run away."

The Imperial's eyes narrowed. "And Ulfric Stormcloak just saw this as an excuse to call me incompetent in that I couldn't even get the famous Dovahkiin to fight by my side. Then when our Emperor was killed under my watch…" The man's head dropped slightly. "I don't like being made to look a fool. The Jarl of Windhelm is laughing at me and thinks that nothing is going to stand in the way of him becoming High King. I can't imagine what ruin would befall Skyrim and its people if that happens."

The Argonian felt his anger lift slightly; he had done more than just leave the Imperial Legion to fight without him, he made the General look weak in front of the enemy. The mage motioned for his friends to stay back before approaching the exhausted commander. The guilt of the Emperor's assassination could not have been easy for the Imperial to deal with; it was remarkable that Tullius kept the Stormcloaks at bay for as long as he had.

"General, I know that it must have been a terrible blow to your pride to hear that oaf speak of you in such a way. That is why it's so vital that you allow me to once again fight by your side. Now that I am a little older and a little wiser, I will be able to serve you and the Empire to the best of my ability. " KaNack took a knee and looked up at the older man before him. "Give me a second chance, General Tullius. I will not disappoint you this time, I swear it."

"General," Rikke spoke up after a long period of silence. "I'd hate to admit it, but we could use all the help we can get and the legend of the Dovahkiin's power is known by all of the Nords. Letting the Argonian fight for us might be just what we need to advance in this damn war."

Tullius grumbled under his breath and then slowly rose out of his seat, causing the conjurer to stand as well. The Imperial motioned for the other mages to come forward and the casters cautiously approached and joined the Dragonborn's side.

"My trust is not something that is easily gained, and you betrayed the trust I had in you, KaNack," the man began as he started to pace before the group. "Rikke does have a valid point though. Neither Ulfric or myself have made much progress in this war and maybe if we accept the help of the Dragonborn, we'll be able to conquer some of the territories under control of the Rebellion." A small smirk formed on the older man's face.

"The jarl of Windhelm is a Nord and his followers are too proud to rely on magic in their battles. The Stormcloaks will not be prepared to clash with forces as unpredictable as the Arcane Arts, because as of late, no mages have had the courage to want to fight for us."

"So, you will accept our offer and let us join the Imperial Legion?" KaNack asked as he and the other casters' anticipation grew at the sight of the commander's change of heart.

"Perhaps," answered Tullius as he turned to face Rikke. "Legate, maybe these five can prove their devotion to the Empire by passing a little test. Do you remember that fort that we both agreed would be a good place to locate some of our auxiliaries?"

"Ah, that's a good idea, General. This will give the mages a chance to prove just how well they can handle themselves in a scrap." The Nord turned to face the mages and a stern expression formed on her face causing the group to stand up straighter. "Listen up, you casters!" she began. "This is your one and only opportunity to find yourself in the good graces of the Imperial Legion!" She walked over to the map and pointed to a part that was close to the Sea of Ghosts. "Northwest of here is a structure known as Fort Hraggstad. It is a sturdy stronghold and would be a great place to locate some of our soldiers in order to intercept any Stormcloaks who might be making a move towards Solitude."

The woman approached the mages and shot an annoyed look at Onmund. The Nord caster was only a few inches taller than the Legate. It was almost comically since for the longest time he had been one of the biggest mages in Winterhold and now that he was no longer amongst just mages, he became aware of just how small he was compared to Nord barbarians.

"By the Eight, I keep forgetting how little mages are," she muttered under her breath before continuing. "This fort had been overtaken by bandits. Go to Fort Hraggstad and clear it of all the scum inhabiting it. Burn them, freeze them, Shout their heads off, I don't care! Just make sure that there isn't one left there so that it is clear for the auxiliaries to move in at once!"

"You want us to kill all the bandits?" J'Zargo asked. "How many of them are there?"

"Scared, cat?" Rikke asked stiffly as she poked the feline in the chest. "Stormcloaks are much worse than bandits! If you are having second thoughts, perhaps you aren't ready to join the Imperial Legion after all!"

"J'Zargo NEVER turns down a challenge!" the feline hissed before grinning at her wickedly. "This Khajiit could take out the entire fort singlehandedly."

"You won't of course," Brelas growled over at the furry mage. "We're going to work together on this, J'Zargo."

"Yes, J'Zargo understands," the feline purred as he twirled one of his long black whiskers in his claws.

"Mages, clear out Fort Hraggstad and you will prove that you are indeed worthy of taking the oath and being accepted into the proud Imperial Legion." Rikke walked over to the General and stood by his side as she crossed her arms. "If you fail, don't even bothering stepping foot back in Castle Dour."

"We'll be coming back," the Argonian insisted as he narrowed his eyes at the Legate, "and all of us will be taking that oath!"

"Assuming you don't run away again, of course," Tullius remarked bitterly. KaNack bared his small sharp teeth as the General and then jerked his head to the side as he started for the door.

"Let's go. The war's not going to wait around for us."

It was a huge relief for all of the mages once they were outside of the castle and felt the cool breeze and breathed in the refreshing air. Brelyna once again took her husband's hand as they began to make their way through the city towards the large iron gates.

"KaNack, are you alright?" the Dunmer asked quietly.

"I'm fine," he hissed. "I don't care what Tullius calls me, I know I deserve it. That woman had no right to speak to you like that! Who does Rikke think she is looking down on Onmund and the rest of you?"

"Don't worry about it, KaNack," muttered the Nord in the back. "Believe me, my family made no secret of how small I was compared to the other boys growing up." A smirk crawled up his face. " It wasn't until I finally went to Winterhold that I started feeling big."

"Mages are naturally smaller than the ungifted members of their races," Brelas said as she jumped onto her lover's back and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You'll always be our gentle giant though!"

"It would be a mistake for anyone to doubt us merely due to our size! The smaller the package, the bigger the punch!" J'Zargo laughed loudly as he sped forward between the Argonian and Dunmer and pulled them both to his side. "Mage beats might!"

"You mean 'magic beats might', right?" Brelyna asked the Khajiit.

"No!"

KaNack couldn't help but laugh when he noticed how unfazed the others seemed to be even after being snubbed by the Imperial Legion. They came to a stop before the heavy iron doors and KaNack pulled away from J'Zargo so they he could face all four of his companions.

"Tullius doesn't have any faith in mages now because of me," he explained as his tail flicked from side-to-side. "Let's prove to him and the rest of the Empire just how dangerous a pack of casters can actually be. We're not weak and we're not cowards! The magicka that flows through our veins is older than time itself! The only reason Ulfric has not been stopped is because he and his rebels have not had to deal with wizards before!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Onmund asked as he adjusted his hold on the Wood Elf that was still riding on his back. "Let's go clear that fort of bandits!"

"Yeah, let's kill someone!" laughed Brelas as she raised a fist triumphantly in the air.

The Bosmer's exclamation made KaNack think back to the family he left in Dawnstar. It would probably be some time before he would have an opportunity to see them again. His brothers and sister knew that he was going off to war and had been remarkably understanding about why it was so important to the mage to bring Ulfric Stormcloak to justice.

The Argonian couldn't spend too much time dwelling on the Dark Brotherhood. For now, he had to put all his focus into the task at hand and embrace his other family; his family from Winterhold. He pulled open one of the large iron doors and was immediately greeted by a misty breeze coming in from the Solitude docks. It was refreshing and seemed to be a positive sign of things to come.

"Three years ago Ulfric Stormcloak came to Winterhold and thought he could intimidate us to get his way," the Argonian started quietly as the other mages joined his side. He gave them a sideways glance and there was a wicked twinkle in his eye. "It was there that we all stood together and faced him as a whole and showed that kingslayer that we weren't afraid of him."

"Let's finish what we started then," Onmund said as he peered at the road ahead of them in anticipation. "Watch out Ulfric! Here come the mages of Winterhold!"

"HUZZAH!"

All shouting as one, the five casters charged forth to Solitude stables to mount their steeds. Rikke's assignment for the group might not seemed to be much compared to what was to come, but KaNack and the others were filled with pride as they had just taken their first steps in aiding the Imperial Army. As far as the party was concerned, they were officially a part of the Legion.


	2. Fort Hraggstad

KaNack kept low to the ground as he prowled towards the stony fort in the distance. According to the directions given by Legate Rikke, this was Fort Hraggstad. In order for the mages to prove themselves to Tullius, they would have to clear this structure of every single thug within it. The task sounded simple enough, but in the Argonian's experience, if something seemed too easy, odds were that there was a catch.

Reaching the outer wall of the stronghold, the reptile flattened himself against it and then turned to see how the others were faring. Brelyna looked rather nervous, but the others seemed to be biting at the bit to begin their assault on the bandits.

"Damn, it's cold," muttered a bandit that was standing guard on top of the wall. From what KaNack could see on the approach, there were at least two archer sentries watching over the land for invaders. Mages were small and their shrouds produced no sounds unlike the heavy armor worn by fighters.

Snaking along the wall, the Argonian paused when he was just outside of the large entrance that was the only means of accessing the fort. He looked back at the others.

"Okay, guys," he whispered. "This is it. Remember to stick together; I don't want anyone getting surrounded by these thugs."

"Please, J'Zargo is not afraid of a few petty thugs," the Khajiit snickered as his blue eyes sparkled with anticipation. "Let's do this already."

"Fine." KaNack hand began to glow a bright blue. "First, I'm going to provide those sentries a little entertainment." The Argonian cast the ball of energy into the center of the fort and upon impact, his flame atronach sprouted.

"What in Oblivion is that?!" one of the archers barked as he pulled an arrow from his quiver.

The atronach wasted no time in hurling ball after ball of fire at the bandits, knocking one over the wall while the other ran for cover.

"NOW!"

All five mages poured into Fort Hraggstad and were shocked to realize that the camp was much more populated than they had expected. There were at least five other bandits on the ground level and another archer positioned in a high tower. They had already made quick work of the atronach and now were making their way towards the invading casters.

"Bastards! We'll send you to Oblivion!" boomed a Redguard as he charged forward with a large steel sword gripped in his hand.

Brelas leaned into her casting position and shot a fireball directly into the chest guard of the bandit sending him flying back and causing the bandits to spread out.

"Dammit, they're mages! Be on your guards!"

"Leave none alive!" the Bosmer exclaimed as she rushed forward ready to continue the attack.

"Brelas! Stay close!" Onmund pleaded as he hurried to keep up with the bloodthirsty elf.

"Well, she's having fun," Brelyna muttered to her husband.

The reptile's brow furrowed as he looked towards the door that led into the fort. Odds were that there might be a few more bandits inside, and his friends were having enough difficulty dealing with the ones that were currently outside.

"I'm going to head into the stronghold and keep any stragglers from coming out here and overtaking us! I will try and hold them off as long as I can with my Shouts! As soon as you kill these thugs, follow me inside! I'll be waiting!"

"Got it!" Brelas called over to the reptile as she cast a wall of fire at the bandits before her. She laughed loudly as her Nordic lover scrambled to join her side. "Am I stealing all the fun, Onmund?"

"KaNack said for us to stay close!" he exclaimed shooting a blast of frostbite at the thugs as well.

"I wouldn't have it any other way!" the Bosmer giggled.

"Don't take too long!" KaNack called out to his friends as he hurried into the fort, hoping his friends would be joining him soon. Once inside the structure, the Argonian was immediately confronted by a large Nordic bandit, protected by fur armor and brandishing a large axe.

"I'm going to skin you and use your hide as a loincloth, lizard!"

A twisted smile crawled up the mage's face and his claws began to illuminate blue. "Hey, bandit. Do you like dogs?" he asked darkly.

* * *

Following the instruction left by the red and black mage, Brelyna produced her ward and stepped next to the Khajiit to provide him with a shield. "I've got you covered, J'Zargo! Do what you need to do!"

A Nord swung his sword at the feline mage, but it bounced harmlessly off the magical barrier that was being cast by the Dunmer. A fanged grin formed on the cat's face as his lightning spell finished charging up.

"You and your silly melee weapons! Face the power of the gods!" The electricity shot forward and the bandit screamed in agony as he felt like his insides were being ripped from the inside out. Brelyna dropped her ward and stood back-to-back with J'Zargo as she shot a volt of lightning at another approaching bandit.

"Archers!" Onmund barked loudly as he cast a barrier of his own up and a steel arrow bounced off it. "Wards! Everyone! Wards!"

There was still an archer on the wall and on the top of the tower; the mages could not allow their guards to be lowered for a second.

The bowmen weren't only ones that the casters had to worry about. An oversized Orc seemed dead set on smashing his large warhammer into the Nordic mage before him.

"Come on! Is that the best you can do?!" Onmund challenged as he lowered his ward to free his other hand and charged a frost spell in the other. "The snow and icy winds are nothing to a Nord! How well will you fare, Orsimer?" The destructive cast was released and the thug staggered back a few steps upon impact but seemed more stunned than injured.

"Lousy mage RUNT!" the bandit roared furiously as he rushed once more at Onmund.

Brelas' dark eyes narrowed as she was not focusing on her lover and his incoming attacker. Her attention was on the archer on the wall who had been shooting his bow at J'Zargo and Brelyna relentlessly.

"I'll take care of him!" the Bosmer shouted as she raced from the Nord's side and rushed towards the bowmen. "Hey, archer! Let me warm those cold bones of yours!" A fireball blasted from her palms and made a direct hit into the bowman sending him flying over the wall in a mass of flames. The she-elf did not have much time to relish in her victory as the next sensation she felt was a spearing pain in her shoulder. The Mer let out a loud cry of pain as she tried to scramble to an area where the archer in the tower could not see her.

"Brelas?!"

His attention was ripped from the large thug attacking him when Onmund heard the Wood Elf's scream. The Orc's hammer slammed into the mage's side and he was propelled a good fifteen feet away. The pain was horrible, but Onmund's main concern was still on his beloved elf. His blue eyes darted about until he finally spotted her. Brelas had taken shelter underneath one of the wooden stairwells and had an ugly steel arrow in her shoulder.

The Nord grunted as he felt a hand grab his ankle and start to drag him backwards.

"I'm going to smash you into so many pieces, you wouldn't even be fit to be sent to Sovngarde!" the Orsimer snarled as he released the mage and once again raised his warhammer.

Seeing Brelas in pain filled the Nord with a fury he had never experienced before. He had gotten upset and angry before, but never like this. He rolled onto his back and his icy blue eyes glared wrathfully up at the bandit standing over him.

"WAH GRAH!"

All the other mages jumped in surprise at the roaring sound that seemed to echo across the entire land. It sounded as though a hundred warriors shouted out as one.

"What was that?!" J'Zargo hissed as his claws lit up with electricity and he searched for the source of the sound. "Was that the lizard?"

"Oh, gods no! Please, don't hurt me!"

Brelyna and the Khajiit turned and were shocked at the sight before them. A huge Orc bandit was on the ground and cowering before Onmund. The Nord looked like he could barely stand and yet the Orsimer seemed terrified of him. The Nordic mage leaned back into a casting position and powerful ball of fire began to form in his hands.

"Onmund?" J'Zargo muttered before turning his eyes upward and saw that the sniper in the tower was aiming his bow directly at the Nord. Lightning shot forth from his fingers and struck the archer knocking him backwards and out of sight. The bloodcurdling scream that followed chilled the Khajiit to the core and he spun back to see that his friend had set the Orc alight and the bandit was slowly being burned to death.

"By Julianos! Onmund!" screamed Brelyna. The feline mage looked to the side and saw the Brelas had been injured and pointed the Dunmer towards her.

"Brelas has been hit! Tend to her! J'Zargo will go to Onmund!"

She and J'Zargo raced their separate ways and the cat shot a volt of lightning into the bandit granted him a merciful end to his suffering. Grasping the Nord by his robes and turning him around to face him, the mage's fur stood on end. His friend's eyes were so full of anger and showed no remorse for the suffering he had brought upon the bandit.

"Onmund?" J'Zargo whispered trying to get through to this person who seemed to have taken oven the kind and merciful mage he had befriended in Winterhold. "Onmund, are you alright?"

"They hurt her," the man growled darkly as his body shook with anger. "They tried to kill her."

"We are at war, friend," the Khajiit insisted softly as he tightened his grasp on the Nord's shrouds. "Many are going to try and kill us. We're not in the safety of the school anymore." The feline's eyes narrowed when he saw that the mage's hands began to smoke from his inner fire burning and the Khajiit began to shake Onmund violently. "Onmund! This is not you! Snap out of it!"

The caster let out a small gasp and almost immediately his eyes resumed to that of fear, innocence and confusion. He panted for breath as he reached over and grabbed J'Zargo by the shoulders.

"Brelas?"

"She'll be fine. Brelyna is tending to her. It looks bad, but it's nothing we can't fix with a little restoration magic." The two male casters turned to look over at the elves. Brelas was staring back at Onmund, looking slightly unnerved at what had taken place. Onmund had always been so kind and happy and never went out of his way to make anyone afraid or suffer. What the Bosmer saw the man become was not the caster she had fallen in love with; it was an uncaring and ruthless Nordic warrior.

Onmund pulled away from the Khajiit and hurried over to his lover and dropped to his knees in front of her.

"Brelas, thank Julianos that you're all right."

"Onmund, what happened to you?" the Wood Elf muttered as she leaned away from him slightly. "What you did back there was nothing short of inhumane."

"What?" the Nord gulped. "I don't know what happened. One minute I saw you get hit by an arrow and then everything just seemed to be a blur. I wasn't really sure of what was going on until J'Zargo shook me from my trance." He reached forward and gently took the elf's hand in his. "Whatever you saw back there, Brelas. It's gone. It's just me now."

The Bosmer squealed in pain and glared over at her friend who was placing the freshly removed arrow on the ground.

"That hurt! How about some warning next time?"

"If I told you what I was about to do you would have flinched and made it hurt even worse," the Dunmer insisted as she placed a hand on Brelas' shoulder and it began to glow a golden color as the restoration spell began to take effect.

Onmund grunted in pain as he retrieved a healing potion from his satchel and began to drink it to help lessen the pain in his side from the warhammer's blow. He spat some of it out when he felt a clawed hand slap in on the back.

"You're a Dragonborn like the lizard!" the Khajiit exclaimed as he dropped down next to his friend with a maniacal grin on his face "You're Dovahkiin! Why didn't you tell any of us?"

"What?" hissed Onmund as he raised an eyebrow, confused by the feline's claim.

"Yes, you Shouted at the bandit and it affected him!" stated Brelas. "Only the Dragonborn or people with years of training can Shout, and I KNOW you haven't been training with the Greybeards!"

A realization hit Onmund and he fell back onto the ground in a sitting position and grabbed a hold of his head, shocked at himself. "It couldn't be," he muttered. "I'm not a warrior, I couldn't have done that." His blue eyes looked up and met those of his friends and he could see that they were all filled with questions. "I'm not a Dragonborn," the mage insisted as he leaned forward to rest his arms on his knees.

"Then what was that, Onmund?" Brelyna asked as she stopped casting her healing on the Wood Elf and stared intently at the Nord. "We can't just ignore the fact that you obviously Shouted."

"I did and I didn't," the mage answered. "Deep within every Nord is the spirit of Shor and with it the realm of Sovngarde. It is believed that all sons of Skyrim possess this ability, but it often only the strongest and most fearless barbarians who can wield this power." His head looked upward towards the sky as he tried to come to terms with what he had accomplished. "It was the battle cry of the Nordic Warriors. What you heard was the voice of every soul that resides within Shor's realm of the dead."

"Well, that explains why it sounded so loud to J'Zargo. There are quite a few souls in Sovngarde, yes?"

"More than you can possibly fathom," Onmund said quietly. "The battle cry is supposed to drive fear into the hearts of your enemies; but it is not something that can be done on a whim. One must both be a true warrior at heart and spend years trying to embrace their connection with Shor, or…" The mage looked away and seemed almost ashamed at what he had done.

"Or?" asked Brelas.

"Be so overcome with fury that the true barbarian within gets released which gives one the ability to use that power." He pulled his hood back and grasped at his brown hair. "I'm a mage, but obviously there is some part of me that is trying to embrace my ancestry. Judging by the way you all looked at me, I can't imagine that what I became was someone you would want to consider a friend."

"Onmund," Brelyna said gently. "We all possess racial gifts. I can produce a cloak of fire, Brelas has the ability to charm wild animals and J'Zargo here can see in the dark even when there is not the slightest hint of light. None of us are ashamed of our powers."

"None of yours turns you into a merciless barbarian," the Nord stated bitterly. "By the will of Julianos, I pray that I never allow myself to succumb to anger like that again."

"Well, J'Zargo is relieved to see that you did not snap on us, friend." He punched the Nord playfully in the shoulder. The Khajiit turned back to the elves. "Brelas, how are you feeling?"

"Great! Let's go fight some more!" the Bosmer insisted as she started to get up, only to be pulled back down by her friend.

"The muscles in your arm are going to be stiff for the next thirty minutes because of how deep the wound was! You're in no position to be fighting in such closed quarters, Brelas." The Dark Elf turned back to the Nord and Khajiit. "You two head inside and help my husband, I'll look after Brelas."

"Stop babying me! I still got one good arm to cast fire with!"

"Feisty and stubborn as always," J'Zargo chuckled. "Onmund, talk some sense into her."

"Yeah, I'm not really good at telling Brelas what to do," the caster muttered as he rubbed the back of his neck. A satisfied smirk crawled up the Bosmer's face; it was fairly obvious who the dominant one in their relationship was.

"Leave the stubborn Mer to me, J'Zargo! Now hurry! I don't know how well KaNack is handling himself in there and he's going to need you two!"

J'Zargo's whiskers twitched with anticipation as he helped pull the Nord to his feet.

"Come on, friend! We cannot let the lizard have all the fun inside the fort, can we? I'm sure there are also plenty of spoils to have once we rid it of bandits."

"Isn't looting a crime?" Brelyna called after the two as they hurried towards the fort's entrance.

"Only if you get caught!" the Khajiit yelled back, a smile plastered on his face.

* * *

Two more bandits seemed to emerge from the woodworks and came charging through the small entrance. KaNack's spectral wolf, Fang, latched his teeth into the calf of one of them as the other drew his sword and ran towards the exhausted Argonian.

"How many more of you are down there?!" he snarled angrily. "FUS!"

The bandit was hurled back from the force of the Shout and crashed into the stone wall. KaNack had used up most of his magicka trying to keep the remaining bandits from leaving the stronghold and it had not been easy. As soon as one fell, another appeared. He had already dealt with five and these two made seven.

The thug got up and shot the Dragonborn a dark look as he staggered to his feet. "You haven't even faced our boss yet, lizard! Let me kill you now and save you the painful death he will deliver to you!" The bandit's eyes widened when the door behind KaNack opened and two more mages entered the fort. "You can't be serious. There are MORE of you?!"

"J'Zargo will kill more bandits than the Dragonborn," the Khajiit chuckled as his claws began to spark with electricity.

"I'm already up to six if you count the ones taken by my conjurations. You got a long way to go, Whiskers," the reptile snickered, relieved that Onmund and J'Zargo were now there to provide extra support. The thug was quickly dropped once the feline struck him with a powerful casting of lightning.

Onmund shot a spear of ice at the foe that attempting to fight off the Argonian's familiar. Fang's ears perked up in surprise when the bandit was ripped from his jaws and vanished down the stairs. The Nord grinned and patted the worn out reptile on the back.

"What took you so long?" KaNack grumbled as he rested his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

"We were kind of busy ourselves. You missed much excitement, Lizard Wizard. Onmund snapped," the Khajiit explained.

"You snapped?" the mage chuckled as he smirked over at the annoyed caster. "That is a story you have to indulge me with once we're through here." The Dovahkiin stood up and let out a loud sigh as he felt his magicka start to replenish. "Where are our lovely elves?"

"An archer shot Brelas," Onmund mumbled miserably. "She's going to recover, but for now she can't cast properly and Brelyna doesn't want to leave her alone. It's just us."

"Are there any others?" J'Zargo asked as he started towards the stairs to peer down. His grey and black spotted tail swished anxiously.

"Let me see." The Argonian made his way over to the Khajiit and sucked in a deep breath. "LAAS YAH!"

If there was any other beings present in Fort Hraggstad, KaNack was going to know about it. The Argonian was relieved when all he saw was a single red silhouette wandering about in the lower chambers of the fort.

"Just one. The bandits spoke about their boss, that must be who that is," hissed KaNack as he started down the stairs. He grunted as he felt a clawed hand grab his shoulder.

"You have been fighting solo for a bit, take a seat on the steps. Let Onmund and J'Zargo handle this little bandit chief," the feline insisted as he pulled himself ahead of the Argonian and started down the stairwell. "Come along, my Nordic friend. Let's give our scaly caster a chance to rest up."

"Umm, shouldn't we be staying together?" the Nord asked as he followed after the Khajiit and was slightly unnerved that KaNack did not seem to be following after them.

"Oh, I'll stay in the back," the reptile said as he started to walk behind the mages with his wolf trotting alongside. "I'd like to see just how well you two handle yourselves." A wicked smile crossed his face. "After all, it's one bandit chief and the two of you. Just say the word and I'll step in."

"We are not afraid," snorted the cat as he flattened himself against the wall.

Onmund muttered something under his breath as he followed suit. He was comforted in the knowledge that the Argonian was still with them, but he had known both of the mages long enough to realize that KaNack would not step in unless either it looked like someone was going to get killed or if J'Zargo swallowed his pride and asked for assistance.

J'Zargo eyes narrowed to slits as he continued to slink along the wet stone walls of the stronghold until he came upon a halfway open door. Peering inside, the furry mage was slightly nervous from what he saw. He had no idea what the race of the huge bandit chief was, as he was layered in strong looking heavy armor. Resting against the wall, an arm's length away was a large iron shield and sheathed on the enemy's person was a deadly looking war axe.

"Do you see him?" Onmund whispered as he tried to look over his friend's shoulder.

"Yes. He…he does not look so tough," the mage stated as his ears flattened on his head. J'Zargo's hands began to crackle with sparks which caused the chief to snatch up his shield and pull out his axe. "Uhh, he heard J'Zargo."

"Brilliant," muttered the Nord as he took a few cautious steps back and his hands began to steam from the frost spell he was charging up.

"Who's there?" the chief growled as he started towards the door. "Ataf? Lorm? Is that you? Did you kill those damn intruders yet? I don't hear any more fighting!"

"Yeah!" KaNack called out to the chief with a grin. "They're all dead! Come out here and celebrate with us with some luscious maidens!"

Onmund spun around and stared at the Argonian in shock and turned back when he heard the frantic yowl of J'Zargo. The Khajiit shot his sparks at the bandit chief but were blocked by the foe's shield. The man growled loudly as he charged forward and pushed the feline back with his shield and slammed him hard into the stone wall producing another painful screech from the feline.

"J'Zargo!" Onmund finished charging his attack and cast a whirlwind of ice storm at the armored bandit. The chief grunted and pulled away from J'Zargo, allowing the dazed mage to slide down to the floor. The prowl was made slower as he was under the effect of the Nord's frost spell, but the chief still raised his weapon and lurched towards the mage.

"You mages are so stupid and weak! You think a little cold is going to hurt me?"

"Dammit! He's a Nord!" Onmund exclaimed as he backtracked and started to charge up a fire attack in place of his preferred method of destruction casting. The bandit lunged at the caster and the smaller man dove out of the way of the dangerous swing.

"Runt! Magic is useless here!" the armored man shouted angrily. "Show some backbone and fight me like true son of Skyrim!"

"Runt? Are you going to let him talk to you like that, Onmund?" laughed the Dragonborn as he continued to watch from the sidelines, greatly amused at the sight before him. He could tell the difference in when his friends' lives were in terrible danger and when they were just scrambling to try and make ends meet. Right now, they were scrambling.

"J'Zargo! Will you ask him to help us already?!" the mage shouted as he shot a fireball at the bandit chief who blocked it with his heavy shield.

"This…this is a minor setback," the cat coughed out as he staggered to his feet and gripped onto the larger mage to remain stable. "This foe is not so tough! We know frost spells are useless, so let's use something else." The Khajiit's hand began to glow a bright red. "You aren't the only one who can induce fear into people."

J'Zargo cast the spell forward and the Nord raised his shield blocking most of the spells effects, but bits of it still struck into the chief causing him to glow red for a few moments.

"Hah! You have been hit by J'Zargo!" The feline caster stepped away from Onmund and began to approach the bandit chief with confidence. "That is a fear spell, my friend! Tremble before J'Zargo the Terrifying!"

The chief lowered his defenses and from under the helmet appeared to be staring at the cat in confusion.

"What did you cast on me?"

The smile vanished from J'Zargo. "You…you are not afraid of J'Zargo?"

"I am a little unnerved by your sharp teeth, but not enough to go running."

"Hey, J'Zargo the Terrifying!" KaNack barked over at the feline. "He blocked most of the cast with his shield! The spell's too weak to have any real effect on him!"

The cat's ears folded back and his eyes widened in shock as he stared at the furious Nord before him. Onmund leaned into his casting position and electricity began to crackle in his hands.

"J'Zargo! Get down!"

The Khajiit dropped to a knee and the Nordic mage propelled propelled a cast of lightning and it crashed into the bandit chief causing him to cry in pain and leap back. The feline rammed his shoulder into the man's knees and the heavy weight of the armor caused the leader to topple backwards and crashed hard onto the floor.

"Onmund! Together!" the cat shouted as he began to charge a cast of chain lightning of his own. Rushing to join his friend's side, the mage began to summon the spell as well. In unison, the two drove their lightning spells onto the man's helmet and the crack of thunder echoed through the halls of the chamber.

The two mages leaned forward as they peered at the unmoving form of the bandit chief before them. There was smoke rising from the eye holes in the helmet, but they had no real way of telling if the fight was over yet or not.

"Is he dead?" Onmund asked as he bravely moved closer to the still Nord's head. There was a crack and the bandit chief illuminated blue for a moment before starting to sit up. J'Zargo screeched and wrapped his arms around the equally shocked Nordic mage as the chief stood up and seemed to lumber about.

"By the Eight! You should have seen the looks on your faces!" KaNack howled as he slapped at his knee. "You two act like you've never seen raise zombie before!"

"That spell is NOT taught in Winterhold!" Onmund snarled as he pushed J'Zargo off and got to his feet and approached the Dragonborn furiously. "Necromancy is a form of forbidden magic, KaNack! You know that!"

"If it's so forbidden, how come Phinis taught it to me?" the Argonian asked with a smirk. He gazed over to his newly raised zombie as it grunted swayed dumbly from side to side. "You'd be surprised just how many of our teachers have dipped their hands in the pool of the forbidden arts, Onmund."

KaNack grunted as the Nord grabbed him by his shroud and pulled him forward to glower at him.

"Don't you ever cast something like that in my presence ever again, KaNack," he warned the reptile in a dark tone. "This kind of magic is illegal for a reason. If I see you use it once more, I will have you turned in to the proper authorities. Do you understand me?"

"Well, look who's a tough guy all of a sudden?" the Argonian hissed as he returned mage's dangerous look and shoved him away. "I'm not hurting anyone, Onmund. It was just a bandit."

"He was also a living person and you have no right to desecrate his body like that!" the mage hollered. The caster spun around and shot a fireball at the zombie causing it to vanish into a pile of dust. "It's illegal because it's disrespectful and cruel, KaNack. So don't kid yourself by saying you're not hurting anyone. The man was a fellow Nord, at least allow him to have some dignity after his death," he muttered as he continued to tremble in abhorrence and anger.

KaNack grimaced and rubbed at the back of his neck as he felt an overwhelming sense of shame come over him. Onmund was proud to be a mage and took the rules relating to the use and castings of spells very seriously. Necromancers were abhorred and treated as criminals for their active use of the black arts. The Argonian should have known better than to cast such a loathsome spell in front of his friends.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize it would upset you so much." The Dovahkiin made his way over to the upset caster and rested a hand on his shoulder. "This is the last time I ever cast it. I swear."

"Fine. Let's just put this ugly matter behind us," the Nord grumbled as he moved away from the reptile to stand alongside J'Zargo.

"What now?" the Khajiit asked. "All the bandits are dead. Should we head back to Solitude?"

"I think we're all a little tired and have earned some much needed rest," the Dragonborn insisted as he started up the stairs. "Let's get our horses and sleep here for the night. I'm too exhausted to even think about traveling right now."

The Nord and Khajiit trailed after KaNack. As the adrenaline from the fight began to wear off, the two were suddenly aware of how weary they were as well.

"That was so hard and they were merely bandits," Onmund sighed as he rested his hand along the stone wall for support. "How are we going to fare when we're facing an entire wave of Stormcloak soldiers?"

"We will have other Imperial soldiers with us to help us in the fight," KaNack stated as he reached for the door. "We won't have to worry about running out of magicka because we will have other soldiers with us to watch our backs." He looked back at the other two casters with a smile. "Besides, we'll only get stronger and more experienced each time we are thrown into battle. Don't worry, Onmund. We're all going to be just fine."

"How can you be so sure?" J'Zargo muttered as he crossed his arms. "What makes you such an expert in the art of war?"

"I've faced unexpected odds before and conquered them, J'Zargo," the Argonian growled as he got a dark look in his eye. "I know what it feels like to be outnumbered and seemingly outmatched, but you know what got me through it all?"

"The power of the Dragonborn?" the Nord asked as he joined KaNack's side.

The reptile smiled and shook his head sadly. "No, I got through it because I didn't have to face it alone. We're going to be fine, because we're going to have each other." He wrapped an arm around the larger mage's shoulder and gleamed at him. "Do you believe me when I say that there is not one of us who wouldn't do anything to keep the others safe?"

"Yes," was the simple answer.

"Exactly. Don't let how hard this fight was get to you. You're a lot tougher and smarter than the men we're going up against. Trust me; we're going to be okay. So long as we're together, none of us will fall. So long as we stand side-by-side, nothing will ever be able to defeat us. Do you believe me?"

"Yes, I do," the Nord answered again quietly.

"Good."

"Enough talk!" snapped J'Zargo as he pushed his way to the front and opened the door. "Let's get the girls and our horses. J'Zargo can smell that the bandits were cooking something and I'm starving!"

"Nothing fazes that cat at all, does it?" the Argonian grumbled as he watched the Khajiit hurry over to the elves. The furry mage pointed at the gates and told Brelas and Brelyna to hurry up and help him gather the mounts.

"No. If he allowed everything to get to him he wouldn't be J'Zargo, now would he?"

"Yeah, guess you're right."


	3. Dragon Flight

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: Translations for the Dovah language are at the end of the chapter.**

* * *

The group of casters took their time as they rode their steeds back towards Solitude. They had accomplished Tullius' little test and now all they had to do was recite the oath and they would be well on their way to defeating the Jarl of Windhelm.

KaNack pulled out his map and rested it on the back of Shadowmere's neck as he tried to pinpoint how close they were.

"We should be about four hours from Solitude. We'll be there within the day," the Argonian called back to the others.

"J'Zargo wants to eat again," the Khajiit grumbled. "Can we not stop?"

"We ate before we left the fort!" Brelas snapped as she glared back at the Khajiit. "Besides, you always get sleepy after you eat. We don't need you taking a nap in the midst of our journey!"

"I'm a little hungry myself," Onmund muttered. The Nord flinched under the angry look from the Bosmer next to him. "Uhh, I can wait until we get back to the city though."

"Maybe elves can go long periods of time without food, the rest of us are not so lucky!" the cat hissed. "Khajiits are active and our metabolism is insatiable! Why else do you think you never see a fat Khajiit?"

"Because the fat ones always get eaten by bears and trolls?"KaNack answered as he turned back to smirk at the mage. "Remember, J'Zargo, you don't have to outrun the monster. Just the other people running from it."

Everyone but the feline burst into laughter and J'Zargo's ears flattened against his head.

"He does have a point though, Brelas. Let's dismount and have a quick bite. I think we can still have lunch and make it back to Solitude before sundown."

The Wood Elf grumbled as she brought her horse to a stop and jumped off from the saddle.

"I swear you guys are like children! We would have been in Solitude already if we had just left after the fort was cleared." The Bosmer pouted and glared in the direction they had been traveling. "You all better not try and pull this nonsense once we start getting sent on official missions."

The Mer jumped when she felt two arms wrap around her.

"I think you are a little too eager to get back into battle, my dear," Onmund sighed into her ear. "You need to be more careful or you're going to get worse than an arrow next time."

The Nord pulled the she-elf down with him as the other mages sat down in a circle and began to pull out some of the rations they had gathered while at the camp. The elves naturally craved the foods of the earth and pulled out apples, while the boys had filled their satchels with horker meat.

"That can't be healthy for you," Brelyna chastised KaNack as he cooked his with a fire cast. "That meat is half fat!"

"But that's what makes it taste so good!" Onmund insisted as he and J'Zargo worked together on cooking a large piece they intended to share. "Don't worry, we're going to war. We're not going to get heavy."

"You'd better not. Small and fat would not be flattering on you," Brelas teased as she playfully leaned into the Nord. There was a loud crunch as the Bosmer bit into her apple. "So, do you think Tullius will break us up once we take the oath? You know, try and spread the magicka about the land."

"I won't let it happen," hissed KaNack. "We all stick together. If we have to go on separate missions, that's fine so long as we can regroup again. I won't allow us to be broken up across Skyrim though."

J'Zargo was about to bite into his meat, but paused when he heard the Argonian's words. "You think you can just tell General Tullius what to do?" snorted the furry mage.

"No, but I can do my best to convince him," insisted the reptile. "He might be more reasonable about than you think." The mage scowled. "Rikke thinks we're weak because we rely on magic so may think it would make more sense for us to be kept together."

"Yay for stereotyping?" uttered Nordic mage bitterly.

"That reminds me, Onmund. J'Zargo knows your skills are focused mainly in frost spells, but given what happened in the fort, it might not be a bad idea to start practicing your other destructive casts," the Khajiit stated before sinking his sharp canines into the horker meat.

"He's right," agreed Brelyna. "The Stormcloaks are Nords; it won't do you very much good to be casting anything cold at them. They'd just brush it off."

"I'm not a one trick pony!" the larger mage snapped. "You also don't need to tell me what spells to use on Ulfric's men! For pity's sake, I'm a Nord! I think I have an idea on what will and will not affect them! I'm not an idiot!"

"No need to get defensive, friend," KaNack said as he motioned for the Nord to calm down. "You certainly aren't an idiot! You're probably smarter than a whole pack of Stormcloaks."

"Yeah, their thought processes are all 'Food! Drink! Sex! Fight! Food! Drink! Sex! Fight!'" the Wood Elf laughed as she tossed her apple core over her shoulder. She grinned as she rested her head on Onmund's shoulders. "You probably have at least one or two more words going through your head, right?"

The mages burst out into laughter and even the Nord smirked a little. They all poked fun at each other every once in a while so it did no good to get overly sensitive about every time a tiny insult got thrown their way.

The laughter died down when the mages' horses suddenly began to whinny and nicker nervously. Brelyna turned to look at them with a frown.

"What do you think is upsetting them?"

J'Zargo's ears became erect as his sensitive hearing picked up the sound of rhythmic gusting of air.

"Does only J'Zargo hear that?" the Khajiit asked as he slowly got to his feet. The other casters got up as well, unsure what was spooking the horses or being picked up by their friend's hearing.

"I don't hear anything," Onmund answered quietly before turning to look at Brelas. "You?"

A loud roaring alerted all five as to what was coming their way. KaNack's head picked up and his eyes widened in horror at the sight of the large beast coming towards them from above. Even with it being high in the air, KaNack could see the green coloring of its scales and the sail-like fin along its back. It was a blood dragon.

"Dragon!" Brelyna screamed as she ran backwards slightly, frightened of the deadly creature coming towards them. "Run!"

"NO!" the Argonian barked. "Don't run! It will only come after us! We have to fight it!" The ground shook as the blood dragon landed before them and stared at them menacingly.

"FAHLIILLE, KAAZ AHRK BRON," the dovah grumbled toward the group, focusing on the black and red reptile in the front of the casters. "You no longer travel alone I see, DOVAHKIIN."

"Did that thing just talk to us?" Brelas hissed as she peeked from around Onmund.

"State your business, dovah," growled the Dragonborn as he stepped closer to the beast to let it know that he had no intention of running from it. "Our time is precious. TINVAAK." There were more than mere Shouts described on the dragon walls and over time, the Argonian had come to learn a small amount of dovah language.

"Ah, you know some of our tongue outside the Thu'um," the dovah chuckled and its lips curled back in a grin to reveal rows of large sharp teeth. "PRUZAH, I was hoping to have a few words before ending you."

"You are planning on ending me? Your large size does not give you an advantage; it simply makes you an easier target to hit. However, if you wish to have words then I will grant you some." KaNack pointed in the opposite direction. "Go back the way you came. You have not attacked us yet and so I will give you a chance to leave here alive."

A bellowing laugh echoed through the valley as the blood dragon's head lifted high into the air, amused by the reptile's threat.

"MEY! You think you can kill me as easily as my mountain and tundra brothers? I will eat you and your party of casters!"

"Does that mean we should starting hitting it now?" Onmund asked the Argonian as his hands began to crackle with electricity. KaNack held up a hand to assure his friends to continue to stand down.

"BOVUL!" the red and black mage snarled angrily towards the dovah. "I will not ask you again! Leave now or you WILL be destroyed!"

"Insolent mortal! My soul will not be the one that is consumed this day! DIR!"

The beast's head lunged towards the group and it jaws opened wide. All five mages dove to the sides to avoid being grabbed in the blood dragon's maw and there was a thundering crack as its jaws snapped shut.

A furious whinny sounded and the dragon's eyes darted to the side only to see a large black hoof coming towards it. Shadowmere had seen the monster attack her rider and galloped fearlessly towards it and began to swing her sharp hooves at its head. The dovah snarled and used its neck to lift his head up high and out of reach onto to feel more pounding on his flank.

"FAASNU KEY! You know not what you attack!" it roared at the black mare.

KaNack's claws sparked with electricity and he looked frantically over at the other mages who seemed to be charging up different attacks of their own.

"Everyone work together! Don't let up for a moment! Watch out for the head and tail!" the Dovahkiin ordered as he raced forward. "I'm going to stun it!"

The Argonian paused when he was about ten feet away from the creature and shot his lighting into its sides, grabbing its attention. As soon as the dragon's head turned to glare down at him, KaNack did not waste a moment. "FUS RO DAH!"

The dovah grunted and began shaking its head trying to fight off the effects of the Thu'um. The other four mages saw this as their opportunity and rushed at the beast, hoping that they would be able to take it down.

Onmund charged up his spell and cast a wall of frost along the dragon's side causing a constant release of frost along the flank.

J'Zargo focused on his spark destruction and shot lightning at the beast relentlessly, hoping that the electricity would keep the dragon from Shouting at any of them.

Brelas concentrated and did her best to materialize fireballs as quickly as she could and aimed the burning spell at the monster's head.

Brelyna's hands began to glow a bright blue and she cast the orb of energy into the ground producing a flame atronach that hovered towards the blood dragon and began to cast balls of fire at it as well.

Enraged, the dragon spread out its wings and took off into the air, knocking the casters over from the gust of wind produced from the flapping. Once in the air, it started to fly off into the distance.

"Look!" J'Zargo exclaimed happily as he stood up from the ground and hurried over to join the other four mages. "He's fleeing! We scared it off!"

"No," KaNack muttered darkly as he kept his eyes locked on the dovah. The mages turned to look at him in confusion. "Get your wards ready, he's about to circle back and Shout."

The dragon in fact did turn around and start to fly towards the group and opened its mouth wide. The mages huddled close as they all cast their wards at once producing a protective shield around them.

"TOOR SHUL!"

Even with the wards up, the casters could feel the heat of the fire from the beast's Thu'um. They lowered their defensive casting and once again spread out as they felt the ground tremble beneath them. The blood dragon had once again landed and it whipped its tail towards the casters.

"Look out!" Brelyna gasped as she and the others tried to dodge the dovah's tail. Onmund and J'Zargo were not fast enough and the two mages were sent flying away from the others. Having separated some of his prey, the dragon stomped towards the two stunned mages.

The Nord gaped in horror at the approaching dovah. He shoved J'Zargo out of the way and rolled in the opposite direction avoiding the deadly jaws of the creature. Onmund struggled to his feet and turned in time to see that the dragon was preparing to go after the Khajiit.

"KaNack! Shout at it! Do something!" Brelyna cried as she pointed her atronach to go after the dragon.

"I can't Shout yet!" the Argonian exclaimed as he raced towards the fallen feline and charged up a ball of chain lightning in his hands. "J'Zargo! Look out!"

The blood dragon roared in fury when it felt something jump onto its neck and grab a hold of the crest on its head.

"What?! Who is up there?!" the dovah snarled as it began to swing its head violently to throw off whomever had the nerve to jump onto him.

KaNack's run came to a halt and his eyes widened in disbelief at what he saw before him. He knew he wouldn't have been able to reach the creature before it got to J'Zargo, but someone had been close enough.

The Nord's hands clenched tightly onto the crest on the large reptile's head, refusing to lessen his grip for a moment even with the frantic shaking of its head. As soon as the dragon stopped, the mage stomped his foot down hard on the neck.

"Onmund! What in Oblivion are you doing?!" Brelas shrieked at the sight of her lover on top of the enraged beast.

"We're coming, Onmund! Just hang on!" the Argonian shouted as he and the other two mages ran towards the infuriated dragon.

"Hang on?! What else do you think I can do?!"

The Khajiit, after recovering from the blow from the dovah's tail, was quick to get to his feet and shot lighting at the dragon's wings in an attempt to cripple it.

"Enough of this! WAH FIN LOK!"

The dragon spread out its wings once more and readied itself to take flight with Onmund still grasping onto the crest on its head.

"WULD!"

The Dragonborn was now beside the large creature and leaped onto it, grasping onto the large sail on its back as the blood dragon took to the skies once more. He wasn't about to let his friend be carried off by the beast alone.

KaNack's claws dug deep into the thin layer of skin that made up the frilled sail on the beast's back as wind ripped past him. Onmund had a death grip on the dovah's crest, but could not avert his eyes from the sight before him. He had never seen Skyrim in such a way before; he could see for miles. Never again would he see the world of Tamriel as he did now, he had to take a moment to savor the sight. It was so beautiful that the Nord almost forgot the danger he and his friend were in.

"KaNack!" Onmund laughed to the Argonian behind him. "Look at this! We're flying!"

"Onmund! Focus or we're going to die!" the Dragonborn screamed at him, unable to believe that even in this harrowing situation, the Nord managed to find something to be optimistic about.

"MAH JOORE!" the dovah bellowed as it began to tilt to the side in flight, hoping that his unwanted passengers would fall off.

Onmund managed to wrap a leg around the side of the blood dragon's head while KaNack pulled out the Blade of Woe and plunged it deep into the scales of the dragon hoping it would keep him better lodged on the dovah's back.

"FIN FAAZ!"

Frost began to spark from Onmund's hands and crystallize down the crest of the dovah's head as he began to cast a frostbite spell, hoping it would slow the dragon down enough for him to be forced to return to the ground.

"What are you doing?!" the beast snarled.

"I will do much worse than this! Land now!" the large caster ordered him furiously. The mage was slightly unnerved as he felt the deep and sinister chuckling coming from the dragon.

"HIND WAH KOS NAU FIN GOLT? I will oblige you, Nord!"

The blood dragon righted itself in the air and began to circle back and lower to the ground. The Nord on its head grimaced when he saw that they were getting closer to the ground but the momentum had not been slowed in the slightest.

"By Julianos, he's going to crash!" Onmund cried out to the reptile behind him. "Brace yourself!"

"Oh, Sithis," KaNack grumbled under his breath as he tightened his grasp on the frill on the dragon's back and the hilt of his blade.

The dragon roared in pain as it landed harshly on the ground and began to slide forward through the soil, shooting dirt and rocks forth in its wake. The force of the landing was enough to hurl the Nordic caster from its head and the mage hit the earth hard. Onmund groaned as he struggled to pull himself into a sitting position, he was both in physically pain and more than a little lightheaded from being airborne for such a long time; the caster was close to being sick to his stomach.

"Mages are not meant to fly," he grumbled weakly. A loud, angry snarl caused the Nord to pick his head up and his blue eyes widened when he was staring into the face of an angry blood dragon.

"MAL BRON!" the beast growled. "I may devour your body but your soul will be consumed by Alduin in Sovngarde!"

The dragon then bucked and bellowed in pain when it felt another burning stab in its back.

"Your fight is still with me, dovah!" the Argonian announced as he pulled his dagger from the dragon's back and leaped off to face the creature. KaNack was more than a little thrilled to be back on the safety of the ground. He may have had the blood and soul of a dragon, but his place was NOT in the air.

KaNack bared his small teeth in a snarl and his hand illuminated a bright blue color. He could see in the distance that the other three mages were doing their best to hurry over to them. The dovah was weakened, but it was nowhere near defeat.

"Brock! I have a friend I want you to play with!"

The Dragonborn cast his spell to the ground and a large frost thrall sprouted from it and fearlessly hammered one of its massive arms down upon the beast's head. Roaring, the dragon's head shot forward and locked its jaws around Brock and began to swing him from side to side like a ragdoll before finally releasing the conjuration and allowing it to smash to the ground in a pile of frost salts.

"LAHI LOS SAHLO!" the dovah roared at KaNack and Onmund.

More fire and lightning shot at it from behind and the dragon turned its head and saw the elves and Khajiit firing spells at it furiously.

"My scales are armor! I will kill you all before your casts can destroy me!" It slammed its tail down hard hoping to strike down one of the wizards, but they were fast and easily dodged the slow attack.

"Don't let up! We can do this!" Brelas insisted as she summoned a white hot cast of incinerate and hurled it into the dragon's wing burning a hole into it.

"NID! WRUTH VIING!" screamed the blood dragon as it turned its head to the Bosmer and gave her a murderous look. "TOOR SHUL!"

The she-elf quickly cast her ward and started to run backwards trying to protect herself from the deadly Shout.

"It can't fly! Let's end it!" the Khajiit exclaimed as he continued to shoot lightning into the beast.

Onmund got to his feet and hurried to another part of the dragon and shot an ice spike into its neck hoping to deliver a fatal blow. "The beast was right! Its scales are like a shield!" the Nord hollered over to the Argonian. "We can't keep this up forever, KaNack!"

The reptilian mage's brow furrowed as he went into thought. Eventually they would exhaust all of their magicka leaving them vulnerable to the dovah. The dragon's body was almost entirely covered with its protective scales, with only a few thin layers of skin around the wing vulnerable to the destruction magic being produced by the casters. If they wanted to kill it before they ran out of magicka, they would need to strike an area that was not sheltered by the armored scales.

An idea suddenly came to the mage, a very stupid and dangerous idea, but a clever one nonetheless. The Dragonborn approached the blood dragon and sucked in a deep breath.

"KRII LUN!"

The dovah growled loudly and it turned and was now giving the red and black Argonian its full attention. The Shout had weakened it, now all the caster had to do was materialize the attack. He was already fairly frustrated which was going to only assist him in what he needed to accomplish. KaNack leaned into his casting position and began to produce a thunderbolt spell in his hands. It was a powerful spell and it was taking longer that he had expected to charge.

The blood dragon's mouth opened wide and sucked in air, KaNack knew that it was about to Shout at him. If he produced his ward, he would lose his opportunity to strike a killing blow; if he continued to focus on his thunderbolt, the Thu'um would destroy him.

"I need a ward!" he called out in desperation. It was too much to expect, J'Zargo and the others were too busy trying to fight the dragon to be worrying about him. KaNack had taken a gamble and was now going to lose.

"I got you, KaNack!" a voice suddenly called out.

A ward barrier suddenly appeared before the Argonian just before the dovah released its Shout.

"TOOR SHUL!"

The flames shot forward and KaNack could feel the feathers on his head get singed and the heat was horrible. No doubt that if the barrier had not been there, this Thu'um would have ended him. As soon as the dragon finished its Shout, the Argonian saw the moment he had been waiting for. His power readied, he shot the thunderbolt forward and into the open mouth of the creature.

"NID! VIIK NAAL AAN KRO!"

"Everyone get back!" KaNack screamed as he backed into his savior and the two got out of the way of the flailing blood dragon that was snapping its jaws wildly trying to claim one last victim before its death. The creature had been bested; the thunderbolt was a dangerous cast and with the Shout affecting it, it did not take much power to take the dragon down.

Bellowing to the sky, the dovah erupted into flames until only its skeleton was left and it collapsed into a heap on the ground.

This was the worst part. KaNack gulped for air and clutched as his chest as the dragon's soul poured itself into him. He coughed and dropped to a knee as his small body try to make room for the size and power of a dovah soul. The Dragonborn had hoped that he would have eventually been able to get used to the sensation, but it hurt every single time. Dragons were hard to kill, it was not something one could so often that the body would eventually adjust itself to it. So was the curse of being Dovahkiin; the songs would not be so uplifting if it spoke of the pain associated with the power.

"Never have I ever seen such a thing," Onmund said in awe.

KaNack felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned his head finding himself looking into the excited blue eyes of Onmund. Looking at the mage's hand, he could see that the Nord had been burnt while keeping the ward up during the dragon's Thu'um. By the looks of how red they were, the large caster must have been in some pain. He was hiding it well though.

"Just like the legends my grandfather told me. You did not disappoint me, KaNack."

"Onmund! KaNack!"

The two mages turned and found J'Zargo, Brelyna and Brelas hurrying over to them. The Nord helped the Dragonborn to his feet and waved at their approaching friends.

"Did you see that, guys? We defeated a dragon! A real dragon!"

The Nord grunted when Brelas punched him hard in the scapula.

"You idiot! What in Oblivion did you think you were doing?!" the Bosmer screamed into his face. "Did you think jumping onto the dragon's head was smart?!"

"Brelas!" exclaimed KaNack.

Onmund began to retreat slightly as the Wood Elf pointed a finger in his face.

"If you EVER do something so dangerous and stupid again, I'll burn you worse than any dragon ever could! Do you understand me?!"

"Yes, Brelas," the large Nord muttered in a small voice as he looked at the ground shamefully.

J'Zargo smirked and shook his head as he looked at the other two mages.

"He will throw himself before a dragon's Shout, but that hundred pound Wood Elf scares the daylights out of him. Tell J'Zargo that is not funny."

"Poor guy," sighed the reptile. "Brelas! Leave Onmund alone! At least let the Nord recover from his injuries before you beat the tar out of him!"

The Argonian couldn't help but chuckle as Brelas led the larger mage back to them holding on his arm, while he was still apologizing profusely to her for endangering himself. Brelyna shook her head and took Onmund's hands in hers and began to focus on her restoration magic.

"Here, Onmund. Let me take care of those burns."

While his friend was being healed, J'Zargo made his way over to the blood dragon's skeleton and began to inspect it. A smile crept up the cat's face as he squeezed his way between the ribs of the dovah.

"The dragon ate gold! There must be at least two hundred septims here!" The Khajiit continued to look through the hoard that had been stored in the gullet of the massive creature. "Not much else here J'Zargo could use! Just a sword! It's not even enchanted!"

"That cat is ridiculous," Brelyna hissed as he glared over her shoulder at the furry mage who was grabbing handfuls of gold and placing it into his satchel. "What possibly could have possessed him to actually go inside that thing's carcass?"

"I learned a while ago to stop questioning why J'Zargo does anything," the Nord muttered as he flexed his hands, relieved that they were no longer burning. "It just makes things easier in the long run."

KaNack grinned and wrapped his arm around Onmund.

"Onmund! The two of us have just ridden a dragon over the lands of Skyrim. I don't know if there is any existing on Nirn that can make that claim!" He chuckled and patted his friend on the chest. "You would have made an amazing Dragonborn. You're absolutely fearless!"

The Nord shot a worried look over at the Bosmer that was still giving him a frustrated look. "I wouldn't say entirely fearless, KaNack."

"I'm only mad because I care, you doof!" Brelas insisted as she approached the Nord and pushed the Argonian away so that she could wrap her arms around her lover. "All I could think when you were up there was 'My gods, don't let him fall'. I thought you were going to die."

"I'm sorry, Brelas," he apologized once more as he brushed back some of her blond hair. "I was just trying to keep it from focusing on J'Zargo."

"Mission accomplished!" stated the Dragonborn. He grinned when he saw the Khajiit return to the group holding an armful of dragon's teeth.

"J'Zargo thought we could keep some bones as a trophy from our battle," the furry mage stated as he began to hand each caster a tooth. "The memories will always be there, but it's good to have something physical to show as well." The cat's tail swished as he held his head up proudly. "Personally, J'Zargo cannot wait to fight another dragon!"

"You hardly did anything! You spent half the fight on your back!" snapped the Wood Elf as she scowled in J'Zargo's direction.

"J'Zargo remembers it differently. We will all get to tell our own versions of the story, yes?"

The red and black Argonian let out a snort of amusement and beamed at the four casters before him. "Mages, we have just killed a dovah. You are all officially dragon slayers in my book."

"Brelas the dragon slayer," said Bosmer as a smile crept up her face. "I like the way that sounds."

"Well, I did have my doubts before," the Nord started, "however, now I don't think any of us should have any concerns about going into battle with Stormcloaks at this point. After the dragon, I feel better going against someone who can't fly or torch me merely by screaming."

"By Julianos, give me ten of Ulfric's men over a dragon any day!" groaned the Dunmer as she shook her head. "I'd happily take them over the beasts."

The Khajiit turned his head and gestured back to where the horses were. "J'Zargo thinks that it might be best if we get moving. The noise might have attracted some unwanted attention. We don't want to be around when it arrives, do we?"

"Oh gods no," grumbled the Dark Elf as she started back towards the mounts. "I am exhausted, but I don't care! I'm returning to Solitude today!"

KaNack smiled as he walked alongside Onmund and Brelas as they followed after the other two casters.

"By the way, Onmund," KaNack began quietly. "Thanks for helping back there. That dragon would have killed me if you hadn't cast that ward."

"Don't worry about it," the Nord insisted. "You would have done the same thing for me. Like you told me back in Fort Hraggstad, there isn't one of us here who wouldn't do anything to keep the others safe. We're family and family is always are there for one another no matter what the odds are against them."

"Well spoken, brother," the Argonian said gently.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

**DRAGON SPEECH**

**"FAHLIILLE, KAAZ AHRK BRON," ****_(Elves, Khajiit and Nord)_**

**"TINVAAK."****_ (Speak)_**

**"PRUZAH, ****_(Good) _**

**"MEY! ****_(Fool!) _**

**"BOVUL!"****_ (Flee!) _**

**"DIR!" (Die!)**

**"FAASNU KEY!" ****_(Fearless horse!) _**

**"WAH FIN LOK!" ****_(To the sky!)_**

**"MAH JOORE!"****_ (Fall mortals!) _**

**"FIN FAAZ!" ****_(The pain!)_**

**"HIND WAH KOS NAU FIN GOLT?" ****_(You wish to be on the ground?)_**

**"MAL BRON!" ****_(Puny Nord!)_**

**"LAHI LOS SAHLO!" ****_(Your magic is weak!)_**

**"NID! WRUTH VIING!" ****_(No! My wing!)_**

**"NID! VIIK NAAL AAN KRO!" ****_(No! Defeated by a sorcerer!)_**


	4. The Oath

KaNack proudly led his friends through the market district in Solitude, ignoring the looks that they were receiving from bystanders.

It was not uncommon to see a mage, but a whole pack traveling together and made up of different races; it was enough to turn some heads. Outside of Winterhold, the only mages usually found in large groups were necromancers and witches; neither were appreciated or wanted.

The Argonian did not care what the people in the capital thought, they were about to become a part of the Imperial Legion. All he was focused on was getting to Castle Dour and showing both the General and Rikke that magicka users were nothing to turn their noses up at.

The Argonian pushed open the heavy steel door of the bastion and his white eyes widened in delight when he saw that both Tullius and Rikke right where they had left them. The Imperial was placing small colored flags on the map. The older man looked more frustrated than before, which the Dragonborn did not think was possible.

"I don't want to waste resources chasing a legend," the General muttered to his Legate. "If Ulfric wants to misuse his men by sending them to fetch some mythical headpiece, that's his business."

"If it is real and he gets his hands on it, that could very well affect the way the other jarls view him, General," the Nord insisted as she pointed to a spot on the map. "Sentries have already spotted a group of Stormcloaks heading here; those rebels are searching for it. I really feel that we should…"

"Go treasure hunting?" snapped the General. "Dammit, Legate, we're at war!"

Rikke was about to respond, but she finally noticed the group of mages that were quietly and patiently waiting in the entry way of the war room. Tullius looked back as well and he stood up straighter.

"So, the valiant Dragonborn and his party of casters return," the Imperial stated quietly as he stood up straighter. "You didn't come back here simply to stand and stare, did you?"

The Argonian cleared his throat and led the rest of his party into the chamber and the five lined up before Tullius and the Legate.

"We have come to report that Fort Hraggstad has been cleared of all bandits and it is fit for you to send men there immediately!" KaNack announced to the commander with a salute.

"Did you now?" the Legate asked, looking somewhat disappointed. "You cleared out the entire stronghold by yourselves? Well, I guess you proved yourselves against a band of hungry scavengers."

"Legate Rikke," growled Tullius as he joined her side and gave her a hard look. "You know that them going into a bandits camp was no easy feat. Desperation makes you unpredictable and that makes one all the more dangerous."

The silver haired man turned the casters and gave a nod of approval. "You've certainly impressed me. You went into that fort with nothing but your intelligence and magic and have returned victorious."

"Bandits and Stormcloaks are two different things entirely though," the Legate said as she continued to look at them in disapproval. "They are much more organized and better armed than those rogues were. Sure you are ready to face them?"

The two Imperialists were taken aback when it appeared that a few of the mages were trying to suppress smirks and snickers.

"Did I say something funny?" the Legate growled as she glared at them angrilly.

"No, of course not," KaNack answered as he reached into his satchel and pulled out the dragon's tooth. "We didn't want to brag, but on the way back we kind of took care of a pest that might have wished your city harm."

"Is that what I think it is?" the Nord woman uttered as she stared at the tooth in shock. The General seemed equally astonished.

"That's right! We killed a dragon!" exclaimed Brelas as she grinned over at the Nord woman. "Still think we're not fit for the Imperial Army?"

"Brelas!" Onmund hissed as he gave her a sharp look. "That's our future superior; you might want to speak to her a little more respectfully."

A small smile formed on the Imperial's face. "Legate Rikke, it seems that these five youths are quite eager to prove their devotion to the Empire. Clearing out a bandit camp is very impressive, but to kill a dragon?" The man placed his hands on his hips and the mages could see that there was now an obvious change in the General. There was an atmosphere of confidence resonating from him. "That is no easy task even with ten trained soldiers."

KaNack replaced the tooth in his satchel and stood proudly before the Imperial as did the other four mages.

"You asked us to prove ourselves to you, General," the Dunmer said quietly. "We're here to fight for the Imperial Army. We're here to help you stop Ulfric Stormcloak."

"I will be as loyal a soldier as I can be!" stated Onmund. "I will never refuse an order from my superior commander!"

"The dragon was nothing," snickered the Khajiit. "Those rebellious Nords have no idea what they are about to face. The powers of the Arcane Arts."

"Legate," the commander began, not even bothering to look at Rikke. "Go and send some of our men out to garrison the fort right away. I will handle the administration of the oath with these five brave mages."

"Yes, sir." She started to leave, but turned back. "You will think over what I spoke to you of though? If the Stormcloaks find it first and give it to Ulfric…"

"We will discuss this in more intimate details later, Legate," Tullius answered stiffly, still not bothering to make eye contact with her. "You're dismissed."

The Dragonborn watched as the Nord left the war room looking rather dejected. He wasn't able to pick up all the details on what the two had been discussing when he and his friends arrived, but it sounded like it was pretty damn important to her.

"Well, KaNack," the General began as he started to pace before the line of mages. "Four years later and here we are. I didn't know much about you from the time we had spent together, but I did know that you were not the most popular of men amongst the soldiers."

"I was an ass, sir," the reptile answered with a smirk. "I didn't want to be there and they did not want me there. Things have changed though."

"I agree, they have." He continued to pace as he looked over the faces of the Dragonborn's four companions. "Mages don't like combats in which they could be easily killed. You must have really had an effect on these four if they are willing to follow you onto the battlefield."

"I did not have to convince them, sir," KaNack explained. "They decided to be loyal to the Empire on their own."

"As to be expected from anyone who is true to the Empire and the desire to make Skyrim whole once more." The Imperial nodded his head in approval. "Such a variety, yet I can sense that all five of you are very close to one another. You are exactly what we need to represent us in this war. Just because we come from different lands or look a little different does not change the fact that we all love this country. Dammit, don't we all deserve the right to be able to walk into a town and not be judged or ostracized because of what race we happen to be?"

"Yes, sir!" all five of the casters answered as one.

"Skyrim did not become what it was today because of the Nords alone! It survived and became a land of opportunity with the resources and wisdom brought forth from the neighboring countries!" He paused and pointed at Onmund. "Do not misinterpret my words; the Nords are a strong and admirable race. This country was built on their history and love for the land. Be proud to be a Nord. Unlike that coward who hides behind his walls of Windhelm, you are a TRUE son of Skyrim!"

"Yes, sir!" shouted Onmund with pride.

The Imperial paused before the group and held his head up high. "It's time to make your enlistment into the Imperial Legion official. Place your hand on your heart and repeat after me."

The mages all took the proper position and listened closely to the words being spoken by Tullius, making sure not to miss a single syllable.

"Upon my honor I do swear undying loyalty to the Emperor," J'Zargo recited solemnly.

"And unwavering obedience to the officers of his great Empire," Brelas stated as she kept her eyes locked with the older Imperial's.

"May those above judge me, and those below take me, if I fail in my duty," Onmund said diligently, taking the oath to heart.

"Long live the Emperor!" exclaimed Brelyna with pride.

"Long live the Empire!" KaNack pledged as he thought about the promise he had made to Titus Mede the Second before claiming his soul for the Void. He was going to serve the Empire to his dying breath, that was his vow and he intended to keep it.

"Welcome to the Imperial Legion, soldiers," the silver haired man announced to the five mages before him. "Remember that we take care of our own. Once you are in the Legion, you're in it for life." The General saluted the newly sworn in soldiers. "I know you will all serve well, auxiliaries."

The Imperial made his way back to the table. Grabbing a blank sheet of parchment and a quill, the man began scribble on it.

"Now, normally I would send you to the blacksmith to be outfitted with armor, but that equipment would be useless to you as mages," Tullius explained as he finished his writing and returned to the casters. "This is a writ that you are to take to Sybille Stentor in the Blue Palace. The septims that would have been used to cover the expenses for armor can instead be used to purchase whatever you need from the court wizard."

Brelyna took the letter and looked over it in detail. "This is very generous of you, General. However, shrouds and magical items are much more expensive than unenchanted equipment."

"I wish I could offer you more, but I can't offer you anything more from the Legion's treasury," the commander explained. "We've never had mages enlist before."

"We'll make it work," Onmund insisted with a grin. "Whatever the writ does not cover, we might be able to pay for ourselves."

"I'll leave you to it then," the General said. "Get a good night's rest and report here first thing in the morning. By then I will have figured out where to send each of you so that you can begin your duty as soldiers."

KaNack's brow furrowed and he looked over at his friends and then back at the Imperial.

"General Tullius, if I might be so bold, I ask that you not split us up," the reptile began quietly. "We were able to clear out the camp and kill the dragon because all five of us were there to have each other's backs. We can't be separated in the Legion."

"Not separate you?" Tullius asked with a frown. "There are five of you. That's a lot of soldiers to outfit to just one brigade, KaNack." The older man crossed his arms. "I just don't know if I can make that work."

"It's a lot to ask, I know," stated the Dragonborn. "We will be unstoppable if you do so though. Anywhere you send us you will have a victory! Keep us together and it will only be a matter of time before you are kicking down the doors of the Palace of the Kings to claim Ulfric Stormcloak's head!"

The Imperial rubbed the back of his neck as he stared at the group of casters before him.

"The Argonian has called us family," J'Zargo purred as he wrapped his arms around KaNack and Onmund's shoulders and pulled him to his side. Giving a toothy grin to the commander, the Khajiit continued, "you wouldn't want to break up a family, would you?"

"You're the oddest family I've ever seen," muttered Tullius. "I will see what I can do. I can't make any promises, but I will see if perhaps there is a regiment that is low on men that might have enough room for all five of you."

A smile formed on KaNack face and he bowed politely to the older man.

"We would greatly appreciate it, General." With a wave of his arm, the Argonian led the other four mages out of Castle Dour. It was not until they were out and the door promptly shut behind them that all five began to jump up and down and start to hoot loudly, disrupting the guards who were sparring in the courtyard.

"This is not a playground! Get out of here!" the captain of the guard snarled angrily at the group as he gestured furiously for them to leave. "Mages," he grumbled under his breath.

The Dovahkiin couldn't stop laughing as they walked away from the practice grounds and towards the Blue Palace in the distance.

"We did it!" Brelas shouted as she wrapped her arms around Onmund, hugging him tightly as they continued to walk. "We're in the Imperial Legion!"

"I can't believe this is really happening," Brelyna stated as she gleamed at her husband with her ruby eyes. "I know we've all pledged and worked hard for this moment, but now that it's finally happening, it's feels so unreal."

"It's real!" J'Zargo announced. "J'Zargo is an auxiliary and challenges any whom would threaten the livelihood of the Empire!"

Onmund looked at his robes and a frown formed on his face. "We only brought one extra pair of enchanted shrouds besides the ones we're wearing. I hope they last the entire war."

"We have to make sure that we get what we need from this court wizard. Who knows when we'll have another opportunity to get magical supplies," stated the Dunmer as she looked over the writ that Tullius gave them. "It's a good thing you collected those septims from the dragon's corpse, J'Zargo. This amount will hardly cover the cost of improved robe enchantments or even a few decent scrolls."

KaNack came to a stop when they reached the Blue Palace and turned to face his friends and motioned them to stop.

"Hold on guys, there's something I want to give you all." The other four mages paused before him and looked rather confused. Reaching into his satchel, the mage pulled out five golden amulets that were hanging from a golden chain.

"J'Zargo appreciates the offer of jewelry, but men do not often wear necklaces, yes?"

"Oh, this is more than a mere necklace, Furface," the reptile insisted as he tapped at the pendants making them glow to show that they had been enchanted. "I had these made and enchanted by Savos himself before leaving Winterhold. I didn't want to give them to you until we had been officially sworn in by the Imperials."

He handed each of the casters an amulet and could clearly see the engraving now that they had a closer look at the trinket. It was a golden disk; on it was the College of Winterhold's banner, the five-pointed eye. Inside the eye, however, was a smaller engraving of a dragon which was the Imperial Legion's insignia.

"See," the Dragonborn said as he smiled at them. "We are part of the Imperial Army, but our roots will always be tied to the College of Winterhold."

"I…I don't know what to say," the Nord uttered quietly, touched by the kind and heartfelt gift from his friend.

"Ahh, J'Zargo thinks the Nord is about to cry!" laughed the Khajiit as he placed the enchanted necklace around his neck. He held the pendant in his claws and his crystal blue eyes beamed at the trinket. "This could not have been easy or inexpensive for you, friend."

"Ehh, I did a few side jobs to afford them. It really wasn't as hard as you might think," the black and red mage insisted with a shrug. He placed his own amulet around his neck and grinned wickedly. "I'm sure you're all rather curious as to what I enchanted these with?"

As Brelyna, Brelas and Onmund put on their amulets as well; they could definitely feel a slight change in their magicka.

"These have been blessed with a fortify destruction enchantment," KaNack explained as he tapped at his with a claw. "We're at war and we're going to rely heavily on our destruction casts in battle. I figured that if nothing else, it might help keep you all a little safer."

"You had these enchanted just for us?" the Bosmer asked as her dark eyes widened in surprise. "KaNack, this is probably one of the most generous gifts you have ever given."

"The days ahead of us are going to be long and hazardous," the scaled mage began sadly. "I don't want to have to worry about you running out of magicka in the midst of battle. I want all five of us to be alive when this war is finally over."

"J'Zargo did not plan on dying, Lizard Wizard," the cat stated as he placed a clawed hand on the Dragonborn's shoulder. "He does appreciate the kind gesture of his friend though."

Brelyna embraced her husband and pressed her lips to his scaled cheek before running her slender fingers down the side of his face.

"We're all going to be there for one another, love. All five of us."

"Hey! There are five of us and five points on the Eye of Winterhold!" Onmund pointed out as he gestured towards the engraved emblem on his amulet. "I know you don't believe in destiny, KaNack. This has to be fate, though!"

"One point on the eye for each of us," the Bosmer sighed with a smile as she rested her head on the Nord's shoulder. "Friendship bound by Winterhold and magic."

"Hmmph! If this represents us, then J'Zargo wants to be the eye's main tip on the bottom!"

"Fine, you can be the eye's ass!" KaNack smirked.

The other three mages burst out into laughter as the Khajiit's tail swished with frustration and his ears flattened back.

"J'Zargo does not want to be an ass."

"Little late for that, isn't it J'Zargo?" the Wood Elf asked as she continued to twirl her amulet between her fingers.

"That's it!" the Dragonborn suddenly announced as his eyes widened. "That's what we are!"

"We're asses?" the Nord asked as he tilted his head in confusion.

"Yeah, we are! That's not what I was thinking though," KaNack explained as he held out his pendant to his wife and pointed a claw to the five tips on the eye. "Five points on the Eye of Winterhold and there are five of us." He grinned wildly at the others and raised a fist in triumph. "We're the Winterhold Five!"

The surrounding mages, one by one, began to smile and nod in agreement as they thought over the title.

"The Winterhold Five? That is a title that simply commands respect!" Brelas stated as she placed her hands on her hips and stood tall and proud. "Stand out of our way! We're the Winterhold Five!"

"Leave these people alone or face the wrath of the Winterhold Five!" Onmund shouted as he joined Brelas' side.

"Surrender, Stormcloaks! The Winterhold Five has come!" J'Zargo cried out as he stepped forward to join the Nord and Bosmer.

Brelyna chuckled quietly and patted KaNack's gently on his chest.

"I think they like the name. I find it rather fitting as well."

The two mages joined their friends to form a tight circle and KaNack looked at laughing and smiling faces around him. Looking upon them, he did not see the adult casters they were, but the young and eager students practicing magic in the Hall of Attainment. These were four of his closest friends and the Dragonborn did not know if all of them were going to survive the war.

Mages were susceptible to melee and weapon attacks and that made them much easier to kill in battle. This was why casters did not involve themselves in fights where magic was not the main component. The five of them were joking now, but soon they were going to be thrown headfirst into the midst of a deadly conflict.

"Three years ago we took a vow as students," the Argonian said suddenly making the others focus on him. "Do you all remember why you pledged that day?"

"Of course. It's the same reason I am willing to fight today," answered the Nord.

"Then let's do it once more!" announced KaNack. "As the Winterhold Five!"

J'Zargo grinned and held out his hand.

"For the Empire," the Khajiit stated.

"For justice," Onmund added as he placed his hand on top of the cat's.

"For liberation," Brelas chirped as she clasped her hand onto the large mage's lovingly.

"For peace," the Dark Elf said softly as she placed her hand on the top of her friend's.

"For Skyrim!" the Argonian shouted loudly as his clawed hand landed on the top of the pile.

Now that the Dragonborn had gotten all of the casters wound up and eager to dive into the battlefield, he felt slightly better. None of them were the slightest bit afraid; KaNack had learned years ago not to fear death, but to see that same courage in his companions' eyes was a huge weight off his chest.

The pendants he made for his friends would assist them in the upcoming fights, but whether they would live long enough to share war stories with others depended completely on them and their abilities.

KaNack had dealt with devastating losses when the Penitus Oculatus claimed the lives of his family in Falkreath. He desperately hoped that was not a pain he would have to endure again at the hands of the Stormcloaks.


	5. Kovanjund

KaNack nearly jumped out of his scales when he awoke to the loud cracking sound of lightning. Both he and Brelyna were rudely jerked from their slumber and the Dunmer pulled the blanket over herself, flushing at the sight before her.

J'Zargo and Brelas were standing in their room, both looking rather proud of themselves.

"Good morning, lovebirds!" the Bosmer sang sweetly. "Sorry to wake you, but it's getting late. You don't want to sleep in on our first day as auxiliaries, do you?"

"Brelas, you and the fur ball better leave before I Shout you out the window," the Argonian grumbled as he rubbed at his eyes.

The five of them had spent the night at the Winking Skeever and had been up fairly late drinking in celebration of joining the Imperial Legion. How the Wood Elf managed to wake up and be so perky was beyond the Dragonborn, she drank more than all of them combined.

"J'Zargo and the Mer will take their leave. Don't take too long, we're being assigned to our regiment today."

The Dunmer hurled a pillow at the Khajiit as the two invading mages rushed out of the room laughing. The she-elf sighed and rolled over so that she was resting against her husband's chest.

"As much as I hate to admit it, they do have a point," the reptile said as he ran his claws through the Dunmer's long black hair. "After how enthusiastic we were the other day, it would look bad if we kept the General waiting."

"Can the blasted man not wait another five minutes?" Brelyna mumbled as she shut her eyes once more.

"Come on, dear," KaNack chuckled as he pulled himself out of the bed, much to his spouse's disappointment. "War waits for no man or woman."

After getting up, washed, dressed and packed; the two groggy casters made their way down to the first floor of the inn. Onmund, J'Zargo and Brelas were standing by the door and making small talk with one another. The Nord turned to them with a frown.

"I'm sorry. I told them to let you sleep a little longer."

"Onmund, since when have you ever been able to tell me what to do?" the Wood Elf smirked as she playfully nudged her hip into him. Now that all five were together, the group left the inn and started towards Castle Dour. Around each of their necks were the enchanted pendants that KaNack had given them the previous day. Whatever the commander had planned for them, they were going to be ready.

The mages entered Castle Dour and were surprised to find Tullius not in the war room, but off to the side eating what looked like a stew of some kind. It certainly did not smell like food to the casters. The Imperial's head lifted and his gray eyes widened in surprise.

"Auxiliaries, perhaps it would be best if you had a representative for you instead of all gathering in here," the older man stated as he pushed his bowl to the side. "KaNack, the next time we meet, I expect just you to enter and for your friends wait outside."

The Argonian looked from side-to-side and realized that it was rather cramped with the entire group collected in the small chamber. "I'll keep that in mind," answered the Dragonborn. "Do you have an assignment for us, General?"

"I do in fact," the commander replied. "It seems that Legate Rikke is adamant on us retrieving this supposed Nordic artifact before Ulfric's men do. Something called the Jagged Crown."

Onmund stiffened up when he heard the item in question.

"I see that you are familiar with the story behind this, Nord?"

"I only know what I was told by my family," Onmund began. "That it was a crown that was worn by the High Kings of old. " He looked over at the mages. "Supposedly whoever wears it will gain great power."

"Nords and your legends," muttered the General with a shake of his head. "Rikke believes that if the Stormcloaks find this crown and give it to Ulfric that it will provide him a symbol in which to rally his cause to becoming the next High King." The Imperial's eyes narrowed. "I don't know if the Stormcloaks have found this crown's location or not; however, if it does exist, it will give the jarl of Windhelm a greater chance at becoming High King. I don't want him to have it."

The Imperial rose from his seat and gave the casters a stone cold look.

"Legate Rikke and a few other soldiers are gathered west of the ruins of Kovanjund. There are going to be a number of Stormcloaks prowling the tomb, so she is holding off the exploration until she receives reinforcement." A small smile crawled up Tullius' face. "I believe this is just the situation in which it would be best if all five of you were kept together."

"Yes, sir!" the Dragonborn announced as he saluted the older man. "One Jagged Crown coming right up!"

"Don't get your hopes up," Tullius growled. "Odds are all you are going to find is old bones and cobwebs. You might at least get a chance to eliminate Skyrim of a few Stormcloaks during this escapade though." He gave them a sharp nod. "Dismissed!"

KaNack and the others left Castle Dour and made their way towards the large gates of Solitude. Brelyna pulled out a map and began to look over it.

"Kovanjund is southeast from here," the Dunmer stated. "It shouldn't too difficult to get there and meet with the Legate."

"Jagged Crown?" Brelas grumbled as her nose twitched in disapproval. "Sounds like it would be painful to wear."

"I was told it was created using the bones and teeth of ancient dragons," Onmund mentioned as he pushed open the heavy iron doors leading out of Solitude. "If we have truly found the location of the Jagged Crown, this would be an amazing discovery for the Nords of Skyrim."

"J'Zargo cares not for the history. As long as there as Stormcloaks to fight, this Khajiit will be happy."

The casters mounted their horses and then took off to complete their first assignment as Legion soldiers. KaNack led the group over the terrain. As they traveled further north, the grassy plains were soon replaced with white snow.

"Brrrrr, why do so many places in Skyrim have to be so cold?" the furry mage chattered as he was wearing only his simple mage shrouds. "Cold is never good for a caster."

"Shame you don't have any frost resistance," Onmund laughed as he looked over at the Khajiit. "You want to borrow one of my shrouds to wear over yours?"

"J'Zargo does not need the Nord's charity!"

The Dragonborn pulled on the reins of Shadowmere, causing her to slow down and stop. The other four casters stopped behind him.

"We're close," KaNack stated as he gave the mare a gentle nudge to move her forward. "We're close to the ruins, keep your voices down."

The Winterhold Five kept their conversations to low whispers as they took their time riding past the large Nordic ruin off to the side. Kovanjund was close and they could not risk alerting the Stormcloak's to their presence; at least not until they met up with Rikke.

All the mages were relieved when they saw three people ahead in the distance. One was clearly Legate Rikke, judging by the Imperial armor she was wearing. When KaNack and the others go close enough, they saw that with her was another Nord in Legion armor as well.

"Huh? What are you five doing here?" the Legate asked as the mages dismounted their steeds. "Don't tell me that you're the reinforcements Tullius promised me?"

"You're welcome," grumbled Brelas as she crossed her arms.

"The Winterhold Five, at your service," J'Zargo announced as he saluted the officer.

"The what? Look, I don't have time to pretend to be excited about your little club. I was hoping the General would send some more veteran soldiers to accompany me, but I guess you'll do."

"Dragonborn," the Nord stated as he approached KaNack with a smile. "It's good to see you again."

The Argonian's eyes narrowed to slits and he tilted his head to the side as he looked over the Nord. The man was in his late forties and had dark brown eyes. This man seemed to know who he was, but the reptile could not place him.

"I…We've met?"

"You don't remember me," the man stated in disappointment. "I understand. Helgen was a very long time ago." The Nord extended his hand in greeting. "Hadvar of Riverwood."

"This isn't a damn reunion," growled Rikke. The woman turned at the sound of crunching snow and saw an Imperial soldier hurrying over to her. The soldier stopped before her and saluted. "What's the situation?"

"Stormcloaks were already camped out around the entrance when we got here. They don't know we're here yet, though."

"Well, that's something at least." The Legate marched to the head of the group and then faced them. "I knew the rebels were going to get here before us. We should have left sooner. No matter, we'll still have the element of surprise." She pointed in the direction of the ruins. "These Stormcloaks are here for the same reason we are. Ulfric Stormcloak wants that crown, but I'll be damned if I am going to let him have it. General Tullius is expecting us to bring him back the Jagged Crown and that's what we're going to do."

"Tullius told us he didn't think it existed," Brelas whispered over to Hadvar with a shrug. "I don't think he expects anything."

"As to be expected from someone who was not born in this land," growled the soldier as he glared over at the Bosmer. "Isn't it ever enough to just have faith that something is real? Does one really need hard evidence?"

"Faith is enough," Onmund answered quietly to his fellow Nord. "I believe it exists and I believe that we will be the ones who will have the honor of bringing it to Solitude."

"Nords!" the Legate snapped causing the two to straighten up and face her. "I would expect you two to at least have the decency to pay attention." She pointed over at the mage. "Am I going to be having trouble with you, mage?"

"No, Legate," the Nordic mage muttered as he flushed and avoided the angry look in her eyes. Rikke shook her head and began to pace as she resumed addressing the group.

"What crawled up her ass?" Brelas hissed under her breath, causing Onmund to glare at her but Hadvar to smirk.

"Now, let's show these traitors what real soldiers look like. Follow me." The Legate led the group towards the large ruins that were hidden under the earth and peered over the side to see what the odd were. She could see at least six Stormcloaks guarding the entrance of Kovanjund. Seeing how many men there were made her feel slightly better that the pack of mages had shown up.

"Legate?" KaNack whispered towards her, grabbing her attention. "Do you plan on just dropping in on them or would you like to have a little diversion?"

"What did you have in mind, mage?"

The Argonian's hand began to glow a slight blue and he shut his eyes as he focused on the placement of his conjuration. Releasing the energy, a spectral wolf appeared right in the center of the Stormcloak soldiers.

"By Talos! Where did that come from?!" one exclaimed as it drew a weapon.

The familiar sat on it haunches and rather than attack, scratched at its ear which only confused the rebels further.

"Do we kill it?"

"It's not attacking us. It might be a spirit sent to give us a message," replied one of the Nords as he sheathed his sword and looked down at the wolf. "Speak, spirit of the forest! What have you come to tell the sons of Skyrim?"

The Argonian smirked and began to make his way down the stairwell below, with the other four mages behind them. None of the rebels were focusing on anything aside from the conjured creature before them.

"Nords are idiots," the Imperial soldier grumbled with a shake of his head as he witnessed the rebels trying to wrap their minds around the conjured familiar. Both Rikke and Hadvar gave him a deadly look and the man slinked back. "I meant the Stormcloaks."

"Just follow after the mages," the Legate growled.

The five wizards got into their casting positions and fire and lightning began to materialize in their hands. KaNack let out a whistle and the wolf ran from the rebels and hurried to his side. The Nords' eyes widened in shock at the sight of the large group of mages before them.

"Hi there!" chirped Brelas as she winked at them. "We're the Winterhold Five, would you care to surrender?"

"Talos smite you!" one of the soldiers barked as he drew his sword and charged forward.

"Guess not," snickered the Argonian as his eyes glistened with delight. There would be new souls to send to Sithis in mere moments.

The five released their destructive casts and managed to hit three of the six Stormcloaks charging at them. While the three that had been hit struggled to get to their feet, the others swung their swords at the mages before them, only to have their attacks deflected by a ward.

"For the Empire!" Rikke howled as she drew her weapon and struck her blade hard onto the shield of a rebel. Hadvar and the other soldier lunged forth and began to fight back the other two Stormcloaks that had managed to avoid the mages' spells.

With Rikke and the soldiers keeping the unwounded rebels at bay, the mages advanced on the three that had managed to get to their feet.

"Blasted mages and their witchcraft!" one of them snarled as he pointed his weapon at the casters. "You hide behind your spells like cowards!'

"You're just jealous of J'Zargo's amazing abilities," laughed the Khajiit as his claws crackled with electricity.

"All at once!" a rebel ordered as he and the others raised their shields and plowed towards the group of casters.

"FUS RO DAH!"

The three were instantly hurled backwards and smashed into the crumbling stone structure around them.

"My ears!" Onmund exclaimed as he clasped his hands to his head and shot the Argonian an angry look. The other mages seemed to also be in slight pain as they poked and covered their ears that were ringing from the volume of the Shout.

"What?! J'Zargo can't hear you!"the Khajiit called over to the Nord as his ears flinched and twitched trying desperate to recover and pick up the proper sounds.

"Sorry," the Dragonborn smirked as he pointed a claw at the fallen Stormcloaks. "Get them, Fang!"

The spectral wolf's lips curled back and it growled angrily before sprinting towards the rebels and clamping his teeth onto one of the men's legs. The man managed to kick the conjuration off and his eyes widened in surprise when the wolf suddenly vanished into a fine mist.

Brelas and Brelyna approached the men as balls of fire began to form in their hands. The Nords' expressions dropped as they staggered to their feet and saw the two she-elves before them.

"By Shor's beard," one of them grumbled. "Done in by pointy eared females? The warriors of Sovngarde will never let this go."

The elves shot their destructives casts at the Stormcloaks and there was an impressive explosion of fire, followed by silence. Brelyna and her friend hurried back to the others and the women embraced their respective lovers and kissed them in delight over their victory.

The Khajiit observed this and crossed his arms with a frown.

"J'Zargo needs a girl."

KaNack turned to the feline with a grin moved over to him with open arms. "I'll kiss you, cat!"

"Get away from me!" the feline hissed as he leaped away from the approaching Dragonborn. The mages burst out into laughter, but their mirth came to an end when they heard a loud sound of a throat being cleared. The five turned and saw Rikke glaring at them.

"We haven't succeeded yet, mages," she said stiffly as she walked past them towards the entrance of Kovanjund. "Save the festivities for when we've actually earned them." The officer pushed open the door to the ruin and made her way inside.

"She hasn't changed a bit since I last saw her," the Argonian grumbled as he followed after the Legate. "As bitter and grim as she ever was."

"Rikke's really not that bad once you get to know her a little better," Hadvar insisted as he walked alongside the Dragonborn towards the tomb. "She's a little cold and hard on the outside, but deep within she really does care and would never do anything to endanger any of her auxiliaries."

"I'd be happy just to know if she was physically capable of smiling," uttered the Bosmer.

The soldiers entered the tomb and kept low to the ground as they prowled forward until they caught up with Rikke. The Nord pointed to a set of stairs that led to a large open chamber where there were three Stormcloaks patrolling.

"Everybody ready?" she whispered as she held up a fist. "We charge on my signal."

The hands of the mages began to crackle and smoke in anticipation of the upcoming attack. The woman pulled her fist down and led the group in a charge as she drew her sword and brought down upon one of the sentries, sending him tumbling down the stairs in a heap.

Hadvar blocked a rebel's sword with his shield and then forced it forward, sending his foe stumbling back a few steps. Onmund raced to his fellow Nord's side and volts of lightning sprang out from his fingertips and struck into the guard killing him.

A bright white flame lit from between KaNack's palms and he cast the incinerate spell into the remaining Stormcloak and rendering him into a charred mess.

"It's sad, really," the Argonian muttered as he turned to face the others. "The armor that Ulfric provides these Stormcloaks with are no match for our spells." He looked over at the Legate. "The jarl of Windhelm really doesn't care how many of his men die so long as he gets what he wants."

"That's the truth," answered Rikke bitterly. "He wasn't always a self-serving ego maniac. He once was a loyal soldier for the Imperial Army."

"Really?" Brelyna asked as she approached the Nord, surprised by this bit of information. "What happened?"

"Let's just say he has his reasons for disliking elves," Rikke stated simply and angrily. "Stormcloaks aren't the only ones who would be better off if the Thalmor simply left Skyrim." The officer faced Brelas and the Imperial soldier. "You two stay here and guard the entrance. We don't want any Stormcloak reinforcements taking us by surprise."

"What? Why am I getting left behind while the rest of you get to go off and have fun exploring?" the Wood Elf hissed.

A smile finally crossed the woman's lips. "Improve your attitude and maybe next time you won't get stuck with guard duty."

J'Zargo tried to suppress his snort of laughter, but the Bosmer heard him and shot the cat an angry look. Onmund made his way over to his lover and rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Brelas, this is really important. If you allow any Stormcloaks to get past here, they could attack us from behind." He rested his forehead against hers. "Believe me; the Legate trusts you with an important task. You're watching our backs."

The she-elf huffed and looked away from the Nord angrily. "You don't have to try and paint this as anything more than Rikke giving me the brush off," she muttered. The Mer then looked back into Onmund's blue eyes and gave him a small smile. "I love that you are trying to, though."

"Everyone else, follow me!" Rikke ordered as she entered a cavern that would take her deeper into Kovanjund's ruins.

The large mage hurried to catch up with the others and trailed behind J'Zargo who always seemed to want to travel in the back of any group he traveled with.

"You think Brelas is going to be okay?" the Nord asked as he looked over his shoulder back to where he had left his beloved Mer.

"She'll be fine. That Bosmer can hold her own. J'Zargo thinks you're more likely to become the damsel in distress than her."

"Thanks," the caster grumbled as he kicked at a few small rocks lining the path. The Nord knew that the Wood Elf was much tougher than she looked; but that didn't mean he still didn't worry about her. Onmund let out a sigh as he continued to follow after the others; he had to have faith that Brelas would be safe and unhurt when they met up after finding the Jagged Crown.


	6. The Jagged Crown

The regiment came to a halt when Rikke paused before an open entrance into the next chamber.

"I don't like the looks of this," stated the woman grimly. "From here it looks like it's a fairly large and open section before us. Ten to one that they're just waiting for us on the other side."

"There isn't any other way through, Legate," Hadvar insisted as he gestured towards the opening. "It's either through here or we go back."

"Let's not jump to conclusions, soldier. The Legion always finds a way," the officer answered proudly. "I'd rather take a moment and look around than walk blindly into an ambush."

KaNack moved his way to the front of the group and took in a deep breath.

"LAAS!"

The Argonian's eyes narrowed as he saw red silhouettes pacing in the cavern before them.

"She's right," he said with a nod. "They're waiting for us in there. Four from what I can see."

"Your powers never cease to amaze me, Dragonborn," Hadvar remarked as he rested against the wall in the chamber. "So what now?"

Rikke looked at the auxiliaries before her and her eyes came to a stop when she saw J'Zargo.

"You, Khajiit," she said pointing at him.

"J'Zargo has a name," the feline responded with a scowl, his tail swishing from side-to-side in frustration.

"You're clever and good at stealth. Go see if you can find another way through, we'll rush in to assist as soon as we hear fighting."

The mage's long ears pricked up at this and he gave her a suspicious look.

"J'Zargo hopes that this is a compliment to his skills and not a stereotype." The cat moved away from the group and began to wander about the chamber, looking for some other means of getting to the next section of Kovanjund. His whiskers twitched when he spied a small wooden stairwell that led to a higher level in the room.

"Ahh, J'Zargo is very clever," he purred to himself as he swiftly sped up the stairs and along the narrow ridge that led to a large crack in the wall. "This is going to be hard, but J'Zargo had gotten through little crevices before."

The mage sucked in his gut and began to squeeze through the small opening, slowly forcing himself through to the other side of the chamber. With a final thrust, he dislodged himself and a toothy grin formed on his face in pride over his accomplishment.

"Yes, J'Zargo is quite amazing," the feline purred to himself. "I am sure to receive much praise for my abilities."

Prowling silently on the raised platform in the large chamber, the Khajiit's blue eyes scanned the area for any sign of the enemy. The level he was on seemed to stretch from one side of the cavern to the other. As he wandered across the bridge, the cat finally spotted the Stormcloaks and quickly dropped to his stomach.

There were two rebels situated just above the entrance way. Rikke had been right in her assumptions as they had their bows drawn and ready to shoot the first Legionnaire that dared to come forth in search of the Jagged Crown. J'Zargo's eyes narrowed as he went to work thinking about what would be the best way to handle the predicament.

There is was, as though it had been prepared just for him. The Stormcloaks were standing next to a thin puddle of oil. A twisted smile formed on the Khajiit's face and a ball of fire began to form in his claws. Hurling the spell forward, the fire lit the oil up and a wave of fire sprouted from the puddle causing the two archers to jump in surprise and prematurely fire their arrows.

"Fire!" one of them exclaimed as he backed away from the raging inferno before him.

That was all the regiment on the other side needed to hear. The mages and soldiers raced into the large chamber, weapons drawn and spells charging in their hands. Hadvar and Rikke raced towards the Stormcloaks that were on the ground level.

"Up there!" J'Zargo called out to his fellow casters, pointing a claw to the raised platform. The Khajiit cursed and sped back down the bridge as the rebels began to fire their arrows in his direction.

Brelyna, KaNack and Onmund lined themselves up below and lightning began to crackle in their hands. The archers shuddered and twitched as electricity streamed through their bodies before they fell lifelessly from the platform and collapsed into a heap on the ground.

By the time J'Zargo made his way down to the lower level in the cavern, the Stormcloaks had been defeated and the mages were patiently waiting for him.

"Did you see J'Zargo?" the cat laughed as he punched Onmund playfully in the arm. "Those Stormcloaks must have jumped out of their skin when they saw his fire!"

"All I saw was you running away," the Argonian stated with a grin as he rested his hands on his hips. "Yeah, they looked real scared. That's why they were firing at you, right?"

The Khajiit's ears flattened on his head and his silver and black tail swished in frustration.

"I know you helped, J'Zargo," the Nord caster said as he patted his friend on the back. "Thanks for getting us past that ambush."

"You're welcome," the cat responded sincerely as he glared at KaNack. "Onmund is the only one who has the courtesy to acknowledge J'Zargo's assistance."

"No time to waste!" Rikke announced as she and Hadvar started towards a tunnel that had a flight of stairs. "There could be more up ahead, be on your guard."

The six Imperialists continued to delve further and further into Kovanjund. The tunnel eventually led to another good sized chamber. Hadvar hurried ahead and took a knee before two corpses.

"Everyone! Look at this!"

The group hurried forward and took in the sight before them. There was a dead Stormcloak laid out on the ground and next to him was a draugr clutching an axe in its hand.

"What in the nine holds is that thing?" muttered the soldier as he stood up and eyed the creature in concern. "Is that what killed the Stormcloak? It couldn't be! It looks like it's been dead for hundreds of years!"

"It's a draugr," KaNack answered darkly as he scowled at the grizzly carcass at his feet. "Undead Nordic warriors that are believed to have once served dragons. I have no doubt that this is what killed that rebel, but at least the Stormcloak took the creature with him."

"Show some respect!" hissed Hadvar as he glared over at the Argonian. "If this is a Nordic warrior then these are the bones of our ancestors!"

"Who sold their people out to the dovah!" growled the reptile getting in soldier's face. "I would not consider that an act worthy of my admiration, would you?!"

"Steady now," the Legate insisted as she pushed the Dragonborn and the Nord away from one another. "Don't forget why we are here; to get the Jagged Crown." The woman started further into the tunnels expecting the others to follow. Now let's keep moving."

Stepping over the bodies, the regiment once again resumed their exploration of the Nordic tomb for the mythical crown. The passages eventually led them to a large chamber where the walls were adorned with a number of engravings.

"By Shor's beard," muttered Onmund as his eyes widened and he took in the sight before him. The group began to spread out in the large tunnel.

"This must be the Hall of Stories," the Legate announced as she stood in the center of the chamber and looked at the many images that decorated the room.

"I've heard of this," said Hadvar as he moved over to one of the carvings and looked at it curiously. "These walls supposedly show the history of the ancients who built this place."

The Nordic mage approached a wall that was by one of the coffins and rested a hand on the carvings, feeling a sense of longing and desire to embrace his ancestry. "It's such a shame we can't read these markings," he said sadly. "Who knows what kind of secrets we could uncover?"

"One thing at a time, soldier," Rikke told Onmund as she crossed her arms. "I know you mages love to spend your days researching anything that's more than a hundred years old, but focus on our primary mission which is finding the crown." The Legate marched toward a door that seemed to have an odd keyhole and three rings with images on them. She frowned when she saw a dead Stormcloak beside it. "Looks like we weren't the first ones here. We need to find a way through this door."

KaNack's eyes widened when he saw the door and instantly knew what it was. "I've seen something like this before! It's a puzzle!" he exclaimed as he hurried over to Rikke. The woman turned to him and pointed at the rings.

"You know how to solve this?"

"There should be a key," the Argonian explained as he dropped to the ground and began to look around frantically. "A claw!" The Dragonborn made his way to the dead Stormcloak and noticed something black grasped in his hands. KaNack let out a cry of delight when he pulled an ebony claw from the corpse and it held it up triumphantly before the officer.

"That's a key?" Rikke asked as she stared at it in disbelief.

"Just watch." KaNack looked at the back of the claw and was relieved to see that the puzzle's solution had not been worn away due to age. The others gathered close as the Dragonborn began to reposition the different rings into a specific pattern- fox, moth, and dragon.

Pushing the claw into the keyhole the center ring pushed inward and the entire door began to rumble and shake.

"What did you do?!" Rikke shouted as she began to back away. "You set off a trap! I thought you knew what you were doing!"

"Will you calm down?" the scaly mage growled back at her. He looked back and smirked as the large door began to lower and reveal another large chamber before them.

"Look at that," the Khajiit laughed as he joined KaNack's side and rested a clawed hand on his shoulder. "Maybe the Lizard Wizard is almost as clever as J'Zargo."

As the mages began to enter the next chamber, Onmund turned around and saw that both Hadvar and Rikke were standing in place looking rather dumbfounded. The officer could not believe that the mages had proven themselves beyond useful in this mission. She desperate wanted to hold on to her beliefs that magic and mages could never replace hand to hand combat and true Nord warriors. With how much the group of mages had accomplished in such a short period of time, she was beginning to doubt herself and her abilities.

"Are you coming, Legate?" the larger mage asked in concern. Rikke sighed and marched forward into the chamber followed closely by the Nord soldier.

"We would have won this war long ago if the Dragonborn had stayed with us," Hadvar whispered to her.

"I don't think so," she answered quietly. "He needed to grow up first. What we needed was the Dovahkiin, not a child."

"So many chambers," said Brelyna as she looked over at a few closed coffins in concern. "I hope we're somewhat close to wherever this crown is tucked away."

"It can't be too much further," the Legate insisted as she approached a gated doorway and tried to pull it up so that she could get through. The door refused to budge even when she put all of her muscle into it. She let go of the bars and stood up straight, glaring at the door in frustration.

"Stuck," she growled before turning to face the others. "Everyone, start looking! See if you can find a switch or something that might be the key to opening this door."

The mages began to wander about the chamber, looking around for some kind of trigger that would be the key to opening the gated door before them. KaNack noticed a raised platform that led to a high level in the chamber.

"I'm going to look up there. The rest of you keep searching below," the Argonian said as he hurried up the raised area to the ridge overhanging the cavern. He looked down at the others who were still feeling along walls and looking behind corners trying to find a means of unlocking the gate. He rested a clawed hand against the wall and took his time as he scanned the area before him.

"You have to be kidding me," the mage grumbled when he saw a handle resting on the wall before him. "I think I found it!" he called down to the others. "What were the Nords thinking when they designed this place? Why do they always have to make getting through passages so damn inconvenient? It's like it's some kind of game or something."

"I thought you liked games!" Brelyna laughed up to her husband.

"Stop fooling around and activate it, auxiliary!" the Legate snapped up at him impatiently. "We don't have time to waste!"

"Yes, your majesty," the reptile sneered under his breath as he pulled the level. The gate lifted up and the path was clear before them. A loud cracking sound, however, alerted the Argonian that with one problem out of the way, they now had a new one.

"Draugr!" Hadvar exclaimed as he drew his sword and backed away towards the others as the undead creature lunged at him swinging an ancient Nordic sword.

"J'Zargo will send you back to eternal rest where you belong!" the Khajiit snarled as he shot lightning at the creature stunning it. The Nord soldier charged forward and struck the corpse down with his sword.

Another draugr rushed at the Dunmer. Brelyna concentrated, activating her ancestral wrath. Her body became engulfed in flames and the undead warrior screeched as it came into contact with the Mer's fire. Onmund hurried forward and shot a fireball into the foe's head causing it to collapse into a pile of rotted clothes and bones.

The final draugr had spotted KaNack on the raised platform and pulled out a bow, firing an arrow at the Argonian. The Dragonborn cast a ward to deflect it and glared at the undead before him.

"You're going to wish you stayed in that coffin, pal," the reptile hissed. " YOL!" Flames erupted from the mage's mouth and lit the draugr in an inferno of deadly fire. The creature screamed and fell off the side of the platform crashing into a still mess below.

With all the creatures once again dead, the Dovahkiin made his way back down the platform and joined the rest of his friends.

"Are you all okay?" he asked as he gently pulled Brelyna to his side. "Was anyone hurt?"

"Everyone's fine," Rikke muttered as she sheathed her sword and turned towards the open passage before them. "You mages seem to work well together. I can see now why Tullius was insistent that you stayed together." The officer moved on through the tunnel. "Come along, can't be too much farther now!"

The woman came to a halt when she entered a large throne room that seemed to be surrounded by coffins. This made her on her guard, given the fight they just had with the undead in the previous chamber.

"Wow, would you look at that," Hadvar uttered as he moved past Rikke to look around.

The chamber seemed to stretch back far and in the center was a raised platform was an iron throne and settled upon it was a corpse.

"That…that must be King Borgas," the Legate said in a hushed and worried tone. "The last king to possess of the Jagged Crown."

As the group moved further into the cavern, they could see that adorning the corpse's head was a crown that appeared to be made up of dragon's teeth.

"There it is!" Hadvar exclaimed as he pointed towards the platform. "The Jagged Crown! We found it!"

The soldier approached the body, reaching for the crown adorning its head. The entire group tensed up when they heard the familiar cracking sounds and the dead king's eyes suddenly lit up a blue in color.

"Hadvar! Get away from there!" shouted the Legate as she frantically motioned for her soldier to move away from King Borgas who did not seem to be quite as dead as they had perceived.

KaNack turned to the side and his eyes widened in shock. There were two draugr before them, but these ones looked different from any he had seen before. Their helmets had two long horns perturbing from them and their armor looked as though it were made of ebony.

"What in Oblivion kind of draugr are these?" Hadvar exclaimed as he moved away from the king's corpse as it drew a sword and prowled towards the soldier.

Brelyna and J'Zargo leaned into their casting positions as one of the ebony plated undead approached them.

"FUS….."

The Argonian spun around and his mouth dropped slightly as he saw what the draugr was about to do. It was not possible though. Not draugr! Draugr could not Shout!

"RO DAH!"

The force of the Shout sent the elf and Khajiit flying back and smashing them hard into one of the stone coffins lining the chamber. The furry mage appeared to be in great pain, but was still conscious. The Dunmer was not as fortunate.

"Brelyna!" KaNack cried in shock when he saw his wife was not moving. He spun back towards the draugr and his eyes glowed white and his teeth bore in a snarl.

"YOL!"

The flames spewed from his mouth and the draugr grunted as though in pain, but the Shout was not enough to kill it.

"Onmund! Rikke! Hadvar! J'Zargo and Brelyna are down! Be careful!"

King Borgas came at the group and raised his sword high above his head. The Legate rushed forward and blocked the strike with her sword and she scowled into the glowing eyes of the undead ruler.

"Sorry, your highness," she growled up at him, "but we'll be taking your crown." She kicked the undead hard in the ribs causing him to stumble back as she charged forward to continue her attack.

"ZUN!"

Hadvar gasped as his sword was thrown from his hand from the force of the creature's Shout. He held up his shield to protect himself from the ebony sword that came smashing down. Onmund came running up from behind the draugr and placed his hands on either side of the undead's head before releasing a powerful cast of lightning.

"Hadvar! Get your sword!" the Nord barked at the soldier as he continued to cast the shock spell into the shaking warrior's head. The soldier quickly rushed to the side to fetch the weapon that had been flung a good distance away. The mage looked to the side and saw that KaNack was close to bringing down the other draugr and Rikke was handling herself fairly well against the less armored king.

In an effort to force the caster off of it, the draugr grasped the sword tightly in its hands and thrust it backwards puncturing the mage in the torso. Stumbling backwards, Onmund collapsed into empty sarcophagus. His teeth clenched together as he tried to fight through the pain. He placed a hand to his side trying to stop the bleeding as his other hand rummaged through his satchel for a healing potion. He was too unfocused to have any hope of casting a restoration spell.

The loud growling caused the large mage's eyes to shoot upwards and he saw the undead warrior staring at him menacingly and saying something in a guttural language.

"By Julianos," Onmund muttered as he produced a ward in time to deflect the draugr's strike. Wards were easy; he had been casting them since he had first come to Winterhold.

J'Zargo struggled to his feet and the Khajiit gasped in horror as he saw the draugr trying to strike at his friend. "Onmund!" Seeing the Nord in peril caused the feline to forget about his own injuries and the mage cast lightning at the undead creature's head. "Face J'Zargo, coward!"

Turning to glare at the cat with glowing blue eyes, the armored warrior began to stomp towards the mage. J'Zargo began to produce a thunderbolt spell when Hadvar suddenly made his appearance again and crashed himself into the side of the draugr, knocking the corpse to the ground. The soldier snarled as he raised his sword high above his head and plunged it deep into the monster's face that was not protected by ebony.

The cat's ears folded back and his lips curled back to reveal his sharp canines not wanting his attack to go to waste. The caster looked to the side and saw that KaNack had struck the draugr he was facing backwards with a fireball. With the target open, the feline released the spell and the thunderbolt struck into the creature sending it crashing into a heap across the cavern.

"Onmund," the mage muttered under his breath before sprinting over and falling down next to his friend who was drinking a healing potion. J'Zargo's eyes widened when he saw the gaping wound on the Nord's side.

"By the Eight! A potion won't heal that!" the mage hissed as he held up his claws, glowing a faint gold in color. "J'Zargo is not as good at restoration as the elf, but he can help!"

He placed his hands onto his friend's side and was relieved to see that the wound was slowly beginning to close up. The feline's ears pricked up when he head running footsteps and turned to see KaNack rushing to Brelyna and gently pulling her up into a sitting position.

"Brelyna! Wake up! Show me you're okay!"

The she-elf groaned as her red eyes began to slowly flutter open and she rested her palm against her head. "I feel like I got into a fight with a mammoth," she muttered as her husband helped her to her feet.

"You were Shouted at," the Argonian explained as he glared over at one of the draugr corpses. "I had no idea that these things could Shout. The Greybeards never mentioned this to me." He released a dark growl. "There were a lot of things they didn't bother to tell me, come to think of it."

The mages jumped as they heard a loud battle cry and turned in time to see Rikke strike down the undead body of King Borgas. The crown flew from his head and rolled unceremoniously down the platform and landed just before the mages.

"Like I said," the Legate growled down at the king as she sheathed her sword. "We'll be taking your crown and be on our way." The woman turned to the others and looked over the scene. "Auxiliaries, congratulations," she announced as she pointed towards the crown. "You have just succeeded at your first mission as Imperial soldiers."

"Huzzah," all the mages grumbled without much enthusiasm. They were all in pain and exhausted.

J'Zargo reached over and grabbed the crown and placed it onto Onmund's head.

"There! A true Nord king!" laughed the Khajiit as he looked back at the others and pointed to the large mage.

KaNack and Brelyna couldn't help but laugh at the sight of their friend wearing the crown made up of dragon bones and teeth. "Do you feel more powerful, Onmund?" Brelyna asked as she cast a restoration spell on herself.

"It reeks of death! I'm going to be sick!" the Nord cried as he pulled the Jagged Crown off his head and placed it to the side as he began to gag. Smirking, J'Zargo patted his friend on his back.

"It's okay, friend. J'Zargo would rather have you as his brother in magicka than his king anyway," the feline insisted before helping the large caster to his feet. Onmund grumbled as the cat led him over to where the other two mages were standing.

"KaNack!" Rikke exclaimed as she marched her way over to the caster and pointed over to the crown. "Hadvar and I are going to stay here and see if we can find anything here that might be of use. I want you and the rest of the casters to take the Jagged Crown back to Solitude. Make sure that no Stormcloaks get their hands on it! Guard it with your lives."

"Guard the ugly hat," muttered the Dragonborn as he grabbed the crown. "I think we can handle that, right guys?"

"My stomach hurts," Onmund groaned before running off to another part of the chamber to be sick

"J'Zargo's restoration skills are not that bad, are they?!" the Khajiit shouted after the Nord.

"You're awful!"

"Is he okay?" Hadvar asked as he stared after the Nord in concern.

"Oh yeah, he just needs to get it out of his system." The Dovahkiin made his way over and held up the crown. "Hey, Onmund! You want to carry the crown?"

"Get that thing away from me! It's one of the reasons I'm sick!"

Rikke covered her face with her hand and shook her head with a grumble. She had been very impressed with the abilities and skills that the mages possessed, but she just could not get over their playful nature with one another.

"Mages!" she shouted angrily, grabbing their attention. She pointed towards the back of the chamber. "Take the crown to Tullius…NOW!"

Brelyna and J'Zargo flinched under the angry stare the woman was shooting them, while KaNack glowered at her in frustration.

The Legate shot a dark look at the Nordic mage as he staggered back to the others as best he could. He was still in pain from his injuries and throwing up did nothing to help his condition. "Suck it up! You're a Nord for pity's sake!"

"We're going. Come on, guys," KaNack said as he motioned for the others to go ahead of him.

J'Zargo and Brelyna supported Onmund and the Dunmer began to cast a restoration spell on him of her own in an attempt to help her friend feel better. The Dragonborn waited until the mages were out of earshot before approaching Rikke.

"What's your problem with Onmund?" he hissed at her.

"What?"

"You seemed to always lash out at him more than anyone else here. Does this have to do with the Nordic belief that your race should not have to rely on magic like the elves do?" The reptile crossed his arms as he continued to scowl at her. "If you're going to lash out at him for being a mage, why don't you at least have the decency to do the same to the rest of us?"

"This isn't Winterhold College, auxiliary," the officer said stiffly, "this is the Imperial Legion. I'm didn't sign up to be anyone's friend."

"You're not our friend, Legate. We understand that. I have to warn you though, if you continue to single Onmund out, we're going to have a problem."

The Nord scowled at the Argonian before her. "Did you just threaten me, Dragonborn?"

"If I was threatening you, you'd know," he hissed darkly. "I'm not asking you to baby my friend. I'm simply asking you to treat him the same way you'd treat any other soldier in the Legion." He leaned towards her as his white eyes glowed slightly. "Think you can treat us all equally, Legate?"

"I think you should remember your place. You may be the Dragonborn, but you are still an auxiliary." She pointed towards the back. "Now, if we're done here, take the Jagged Crown to Tullius."

"Yeah, we're done here."

KaNack left the Nord and hurried off to catch up with the rest of his friends. As the reptile began to climb the stairwell leading to the back, a familiar sensation came over him. The Argonian groaned and grabbed at his head as the sound of a hundred Nordic men chanting began to pound in his mind.

"Not again," he uttered. It was times like this that he hated being the Dragonborn. It was as though all of Sovngarde was screaming at him for attention.

KaNack's teeth clenched as he continued forward. There was a word of power in Kovenjund and it was just ahead. The closer he got to the wall in the back, the louder and more frantic the chanting became. Whenever he came into contact with these walls, the voices became so overwhelming that the reptile could barely hear anything outside the deafening choir in his head.

The mage approached the wall and stared at the Draconic Words carved into it. He took a deep breath and focused as the inscriptions shifted and changed until they forged into a word he could comprehend. He could feel the soul of the blood dragon connect itself to the Shout granting him access to use it immediately.

KLO, the dragon's word for 'sand'. KaNack was actually very interested in this particular Shout. It would grant him the ability to slow down time for a short period. This could prove to be an invaluable tool in dire or dangerous situations.

The Dovahkiin dropped to a knee and took a moment to recover from the newly learned word of power. He didn't want to walk or move until the lightheadedness wore off.

"Why do I get the feeling that this Shout is going play an important role in this war?" the mage asked himself as he slowly rose to his feet. No longer feeling dizzy, the Argonian rushed through a side tunnel hoping that he hadn't kept the others waiting too long.

A smile crossed the caster's face as he saw the three not too far ahead of him. "Brelyna! Onmund! J'Zargo! Wait up!"

The wizards turned around and were pleased to see that their friend had finally caught up with them. When the Dragonborn reached them, he could see that Onmund didn't look so green and seemed to be doing a lot better than he had moments before.

"What took you so long?" the Khajiit asked as they once again began to travel down the long tunnel. "J'Zargo was beginning to think that you got yourself lost."

"I just needed to have a quick word with Rikke," KaNack answered simply as he offered the Dark Elf his arm.

"What were you and the Legate talking about?" Brelyna asked as she took her husband's arm, a slight concerned tone in her voice. She knew that the Argonian still had a tendency to let his temper get the best of him.

"I was just telling her how much we all were looking forward to working with her in future missions."

"You're a terrible liar," the Dunmer sighed with a shake of her head.

"I don't know, I've been known to fool people every once in a while." KaNack kissed her on her head and then frowned when he noticed that both the Nord and Khajiit were staring back at him, curious as to what had transpired between the Argonian and the officer. "You really don't have to worry about it, friends. Everything is fine, I promise."

J'Zargo rolled his eyes and Onmund still seemed to be not entirely convinced, but the two turned around and continued to walk through the passage.

KaNack's nose suddenly twitched and he glared down at the Jagged Crown that was clasped in his free hand. It smelled horrible, but that was to be expected after resting on the head of a rotting corpse for a few hundred years. A twisted smile formed on the mage's face as stared at the mages ahead of him.

"Hey, Onmund!"

The Nord turned around and look at him.

"Catch!" He threw the horrid crown towards the large mage and his duty forced him to rush forward and grab it. KaNack laughed loudly as once again his friend began to gag.

"Oh gods!" he groaned as he turned to glare at the laughing Argonian and the Nord once again began to gag from the smell of the crown. "You fetcher!"


	7. Message to Whiterun

The Winterhold Five did not have much time to revel in the success of their mission. No sooner had they handed the Jagged Crown to General Tullius then they were once again sent off on another assignment. The Imperial had received word that Ulfric had gathered enough troops to be able to take Whiterun if he chose to invade. It was vital that the jarl of Whiterun, Balgruuf the Greater, accepted his request to allow Imperial soldiers access to the city.

The Dragonborn had butterflies in his stomach the entire ride to Whiterun. This had been a place he had called home when he had first come to Skyrim and his leaving in the middle of the night could not have left a very good impression on the town. He was just grateful that he had four of his closest friends to accompany him to return to Dragonsreach as the Dovahkiin.

As the Argonian walked along the stony pathway of Whiterun, his eyes jerked towards a familiar house that was neighboring the blacksmith's shop. This was Breezehome. The house had been handed to him as a gift by the jarl of Whiterun shortly after the incident at the Western Watchtower.

"I've always liked Whiterun," Brelyna said as she hugged her husband's arm. "It always seemed so peaceful and quiet. I wouldn't mind living here someday, actually."

KaNack smiled at her and lovingly nuzzled her head as they continued to walk through the city. The five made their way up a stairwell and could see the large castle that was Dragonsreach up ahead. They were not too far from their destination.

"For we are the children of man!" a loud voice suddenly cried out making the casters jump. "And we shall inherit both the heavens and the earth! And we, not the Elves or their toadies, will rule Skyrim! Forever!"

KaNack turned his head towards the noise and his eyes widened.

"By Julianos, that man is STILL yelling?!" the Argonian exclaimed.

It was Heimskr, a Nord priest for the deity Talos. This man drove the reptile crazy with his sunrise to sunset screaming in praise of Talos when he was still residing in Whiterun. He had thought somewhere in the back of his mind that the crazy sellswords neighboring him would have beaten him a pulp to shut him up, but the Companions apparently did not mind hearing the loud preaching of the Nord.

"Keep moving, don't make eye contact," KaNack said to the others as he tried to hurry past the priest unnoticed. However, there were a lot of them and Heimskr easily saw the large group passing by.

"Will you not embrace Him? Talos the mighty! Talos the unerring! Talos the unassailable!" he called out to the casters.

"We already have a deity, thanks anyway," Brelas muttered as she shot the man a puzzled look.

"No! Don't talk to...!" the Argonian was too late.

"I would expect no less from an elf!" the priest stated loudly as he pointed to a few Whiterun residents who were smart enough to not interact with the zealot. " Today, they take away your faith. But what of tomorrow? Do the elves take your homes? Your businesses? Your children? Your very lives?"

"What did you say about elves?!" the Bosmer snapped as her hands lit up in flames. "Say that again to my face! I dare you!"

She grunted as Onmund physically picked her up and threw her over his shoulder as the mages continued along their way. The Wood Elf pointed furiously in Hemiskr's direction. "You're lucky my lover was here to stop me!"

"Must you cause a scene everywhere we go?" the Dunmer groaned as she shook her head in embarrassment. "By the Eight, Brelas. We're representing the Imperial Legion here and your first action is to set the town priest on fire?"

"He started it! Did you hear that racist nonsense he was spewing?" she growled as she pounded a fist onto Onmund's back and scrambled to get loose. "Put me down, I'm not going to kill him."

"And I thought I had a short temper," KaNack muttered as they continued up the stairs. The large mage did not put the Bosmer down until they were close to the top and he was sure that she would not go charging back down to the priest of Talos whom they could still hear preaching far below.

The Argonian stiffened as he approached the large doors that led into the Jarl's palace. He had not seen Balgruuf in years, but since the man had yet to involve himself in the war, he hoped that his reception would not be as cold as the once he experienced with Tullius.

The other four casters murmured in awe as they entered the palace and took in the grandeur of the large throne room. There was a definite warm atmosphere surrounding them and the sweet smell of wine and fine food filled the air. Soft voices floated through the air and it was a very calming and almost welcoming sensation.

Stopping before the fire pit, the Dragonborn turned around and made a motion for the others to stay back. He didn't need Balgruuf to feel intimidated by having a pack of mages coming at him at once. The Argonian sucked in a deep breath and just as though history was repeating itself, he found himself staring up into the distrustful red eyes of a female Dunmer Nightblade.

"What is the meaning of this interruption? Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving visitors," she growled at him darkly.

"Hello, Irileth," KaNack said as he pulled down the hood of his shroud and gave her a small smile. "Good to see that your tactful approach to visitors has not changed in the slightest."

The Dark Elf took a step back as she took in the Argonian and a realization hit her. "Dragonborn!" She bore her teeth and drew her weapon which made KaNack take a few steps back. "You'd better have a good reason for coming here after just vanishing!"

"I was sent here on Imperial business," the mage explained calmly as he reached into his satchel and produced a sealed scroll. "General Tullius has a message for Jarl Balgruuf."

"Tullius?"

KaNack and Irileth both turned when they heard the jarl of Whiterun speak up. The Nord gave the caster a tired look as he remained settled in his throne. "How many times do I have to tell that damn Imperial that we don't want any of his soldiers to come and garrison in my castle? Whiterun is not going to get itself involved in this conflict!"

"Sir, you may not have much of a choice," insisted the Dragonborn. He tried to approach the throne, but the housecarl blocked his path with her sword. "Dammit! There isn't time to discuss this! The jarl must see this report! Whiterun is in danger!"

"I don't care if you or all of your mage friends back there came at me at once," hissed the Dunmer. "I will not allow you to approach Balgruuf. Your rights and privileges in Whiterun have been cut, former thane."

"Irileth," the Nord started calmly. "He said that Whiterun is in danger. If this is true, it's my responsibility to hear what the man has to say." The jarl sat up in his throne and motioned for the caster to approach. "Come and tell me how my city is threatened, Argonian."

Reluctantly, the housecarl sheathed her blade and allowed KaNack to approach Balgruuf, but he could still feel her eyes burning in the back of his head. The Dovahkiin held the scroll out to the Nord.

"Ulfric Stormcloak is planning to invade Whiterun. These are reports and documents collected by the Imperial Army proving that his forces have increased in size," he explained.

"Give them to my steward, Proventus Avenicci," the man said as he gestured toward the bald and wiry Imperial standing next to him. "He overlooks these types of documents for me."

"I was given strict instructions by the General that these are for your eyes only, sir," the mage insisted in frustration.

"Don't be daft! Avenicci is my eyes!" the Nord snapped. He reached forward and grabbed the scroll before holding it out to his steward. "There, I assume I can do with it what I please once it's in my hands, correct?"

KaNack growled angrily but held his tongue. The last thing he wanted to do was get the jarl of Whiterun angry at him and ruin all chances of the Imperial Legion working with him. Proventus opened the seal and looked over the papers carefully. As he read through the report a look of concern crossed over his face.

"Oh, dear," he started quietly before shooting his jarl a startled look. "It appears that Ulfric has gathered himself quite an army. If he attacked us with this great of a force, he could possibly take Whiterun if he wanted to."

"Take Whiterun?" Balgruuf uttered as he stood up out of his throne. "Why would he attack us? We have not taken any sides in this war."

"We should take caution, my lord," the Imperial explained calmly. "Wait and see if the jarl of Windhelm truly means to wage war on our city."

"Prey waits," Irileth remarked as she stormed over to the steward and glared at him. "Whiterun is a central location in Skyrim. Taking it would give Ulfric an advantage as far as location and supplies are concerned. The Skyforge alone is reason for him to want to lay claim to the city. The Gray-Manes would provide the Stormcloaks with superior weapons and armor to help assist them in the war."

"I had hoped that by not choosing a side that I would keep Whiterun and its people from harm," the older Nord muttered quietly as he slowly lowered back into his throne. "I have a mind to side with Irileth on this."

"General Tullius is willing to send his men here to help fight off Ulfric's forces and keep your city and its people safe," the Dragonborn said simply. "The only way he can do so, however, is if you accept his request and choose to side with the Imperial Legion."

"Ulfric has already proven his personal strength with the murder of High King Torygg," Balgruuf grumbled with a shake of his head. "It seems like now he is planning to do the same with his army. I can tell that Ulfric is taking this invasion seriously, but so am I!"

Balgruuf rose from his throne and approached the Argonian.

"Dragonborn, your absence has not hurt Whiterun the way it did the Imperial Legion. However, who knows whether or not this could have been avoided if you had remained at your station."

"I am not going to defend my actions, sir," the mage growled. "However, I am getting more than a little tired of having to repeat myself and my reasoning for abandoning my duties as the Dovahkiin."

"That's too bad, isn't it?" the Nord snapped. "Like it or not, you have to deal with the choices you made! People are going to want answers and dammit they deserve them!" The jarl of Whiterun crossed his arms. "I am not going to question you though, Dragonborn. What matters now is that my city and its people are in danger and you have seen fit to return and protect it. If Tullius was able to get past your desertion and accept you back into the Imperial Army then I am willing to do the same.""

Balgruuf looked past the Argonian to the four mages that were still patiently waiting by the fire pit. "Are these casters from the Legion as well? You four come forth and let me have a look at you!"

The remaining members of the Winterhold Five approached the throne and came to a stop once they were standing alongside KaNack. The jarl scanned over the faces and nodded his head.

"You have collected quite an assortment of followers, Dragonborn. Are they willing to fight and defend my city and people despite the danger?"

"Mages are tougher than most think, Balgruuf," KaNack said. "The Stormcloaks will not take Whiterun so easily with the powers of the Arcane Arts fighting against them."

"Before I make any decisions regarding Tullius, I want a message delivered and I want you to be the one who does it," the jarl stated as he started back to his throne. Hidden to the side of it had been an axe which was kept in case anyone had decided to attack Dragonsreach, the Nord however was not preparing to fight anyone in the castle at that moment. "I want you to take this axe to the esteemed jarl of Windhelm."

KaNack took the weapon in his claws and stared at the Nord in confusion.

"An axe?"

"How many years have you been in Skyrim?" hissed Balgruuf. "Yes, give the man my axe!"

"Why are we giving the enemy a weapon?" J'Zargo asked as his tail swished. "J'Zargo thinks it would better to not give the Stormcloaks anything sharp."

"It's a message," Onmund stated in frustration as he shook his head. "Part of Nordic tradition."

"The lad's right," the jarl agreed as he crossed his arms. "If Ulfric returns my axe to you, it means we have business to settle. If he keeps it, then we are at peace."

A smirk crawled up the Argonian's face. "And you think Ulfric is just going to let me waltz in there without any trouble? I don't think you know the jarl that well."

"Ulfric is a dangerous and bloodthirsty man, true. He is also a Nord and will honor our traditions. Keep your wits about you and you won't be harmed." Balgruuf once again scanned over the group of casters. "Hmm, it might not be a bad idea to take one of your friends with you. Ulfric may not harm you, but there are plenty of his followers who would. Too many of you though and the jarl might see it as a threat and not give you an opportunity to deliver my message."

"If I may, Balgruuf," Irileth started, "I suggest he takes the Nord with him. The Dragonborn has surrounded himself with races whom are fairly unwelcome in Windhelm, but traveling with a Nord might be enough for him to pass through unbothered."

"Thanks, but I know exactly whom I am going to be traveling with," KaNack said as he reached over and took his wife's hand. "Brelyna and I will go to Windhelm and the others will stay here to wait for Tullius' reinforcements should they be required."

"A Dunmer?" Balgruuf asked as his brows rose in surprise. "An Argonian and a Dunmer in Windhelm? That is just a disaster waiting to happen!"

"We've gone to Windhelm together once before, sir," Brelyna explained quietly. "Now that both KaNack and I are a little older, I'm not at all intimidated about going back there."

"The choice is yours, but I really think it would be wiser to go with the Nord." He gave the five a nod and then turned back and walked over to his steward. "Proventus, I want you to prepare a message for General Tullius in Solitude. If Ulfric is not bluffing I am going to need every able body to defend Whiterun and I want the letter to be ready to send to Solitude if the Dragonborn returns with my axe in tow."

The five casters started back out of Dragonsreachs with Balgruuf's axe clasped tightly in the Argonian's claws.

"He kind of has a point, KaNack," Onmund began quietly. "If I went with you, it would be more likely for you to get in and out unscathed."

"Thanks, but Brelyna and I can handle this mission on our own. Bringing you would only make the jarl of Windhelm think that I needed a chaperone to enter his stupid town."

When the five casters left the palace, they went their separate ways. Brelyna and KaNack left for the stables while Brelas, J'Zargo and Onmund went to the inn to seek a place to stay while waiting for the rest of the Imperial Legion to arrive.

The Dark Elf gave her husband a concerned look as they mounted their horses and started their journey to Windhelm.

"I could sense a lot of tension between you at that other Dunmer in Dragonsreach," she said as she rode beside him. "I know you said you stayed at Whiterun before coming to Winterhold, but you never really went into detail as to what happened there."

The Dragonborn grumbled as he thought back to when he had first arrived in Skyrim from Black Marsh.

"The plan had been to stop in Whiterun for supplies before heading to the College," he began. "I was passing by an old watchtower when a dragon swooped down from nowhere and tried to attack me." His eyes squeezed shut as he remember the pure unbridled terror he felt being confronted by such a large and menacing beast. "Next thing I knew, that housecarl Irileth and a number of soldiers were around me trying to kill the thing. Of course I was useless, what with having no training in decent destruction spells. It was the Whiterun guards who were the real heroes, they killed the dragon."

"But you absorbed the soul," the Mer said as she gave the reptile a sad look. "I saw what happened with the blood dragon. It's painful, isn't it?"

"It's like trying to force a cow down the gullet of a skeever," he hissed with a shake of his head. "You can't swallow something that big without excruciating pain." KaNack's eyes had a look of resentment to them as he stared ahead. "So there I was, on the ground and crying in pain with some stupid Nord screaming 'Dragonborn' at the top of his lungs like it was supposed to mean something to me. After that, I was summoned by the Greybeards, but before I left Whiterun, Balgruuf assigned a housecarl named Lydia to journey with me. I probably wouldn't have lived long enough to run away if not for her."

"So you weren't alone," the Dunmer insisted. "You had her with you?"

The Argonian bit his lip as he thought about his time on High Hrothgar. "I wouldn't exactly call Lydia my friend, but she at least was someone I could talk to on my way to the Greybeards." The reptile ran his claws through his feathered hair before continuing. "I didn't mind being with Arngeir and the others at first. They seemed willing to answer any question I had and were so very patient with me. The long periods of isolation as I tried to focus on learning the words did take a toll on me. I thought I enjoyed being by myself, but it got to a point where I became desperate for some form of contact. Arngeir could tell that meditation was not going to work for me so instead he had me start looking for Words of Power and killing dragons in order to absorb their souls."

He shuddered as he stroked Shadowmere's mane thinking back to when he was still untrained and inexperienced. "I was young, terrified and overrun with guilt each time Lydia had to run to my aid to fight off some kind of monster that leaped out of the shadows. I did not even dare try and go after dragons unless there were some soldiers willing to help me fight them. Having those men die in order for me to get those souls did nothing to lessen my guilt."

KaNack eyes narrowed as he thought about what occurred next.

"Of course those soldiers had to come from somewhere and Tullius saw this as an opportunity to get the Dragonborn fighting on the Imperial's side. His men were willing to go after the dragons with me so long as I agreed to help them fight their war with the Stormcloaks." The Dovahkiin looked at Brelyna sadly.

"Tullius did not sacrifice his men. The ones who went out with me had volunteered, but I still resented the General for taking advantage of my need for assistance in destroying the dragons. That's why I started to consider just vanishing, you see? Because everyone kept pressing me to learn new words and in order to use them, more people had to die helping me get a dovah's soul. The dragons I faced were frightening, but the one that really drove me to running away was the beast I saw in Helgen."

Brelyna moved her horse closer to Shadowmere so that she could reach over and grab at her husband's hand. "You mean Alduin?"

"That was what the other Dovahs called him. I have yet to run into another dragon as large and terrifying as he was." The Dragonborn looked up towards the sky as though expecting to see the World Eater fly by. "This beast destroyed an entire town and army within minutes and everyone suddenly was expecting me to go after him and kill him. I had reached my wits end at that point, so I packed up my gear, purchased Atronach and flew to Winterhold."

The mage turned to his wife. "Whiterun was my home, but I just couldn't be the Dragonborn they wanted me to be. Balgruuf took it much better than I had expected, but you saw how furious the housecarl, Irileth, was with me. She resented my presence almost as much as the General did when I entered Castle Dour."

"It will get easier," the Elf stated sympathetically.

"I did not ask to be the Dragonborn, Brleyna. This is who I am though and it's been hard to try and return to the role after so many years of trying to avoid it." The Argonian let out a sigh. "Everyone keeps asking the same questions. 'Where were you? Why did you run away? What right do you have to come back?'

"I'm not judging you, KaNack," the Mer insisted quietly as she gave his hand a squeeze. "It was too much for them to expect you to become the Dragonborn legend overnight."

"He's still out there though," the mage grumbled. "Alduin. Somewhere in Skyrim that large monster is soaring and rising dragons from the grave. I'll have to face him eventually or all of Tamriel could be overrun with dovah."

"When the time comes to face Alduin, you will be ready. You also will not have to face the threat alone." She leaned over to kiss him. "After the war is over, my love, I will be there by your side. So will all of the other friends we've made over the years. You won't ever have to face anything alone."

The reptile gleamed over at the Dunmer and nodded his head.

"Thank you, Brelyna. I too will always be there for you. Now and forever."

"Now and forever," the she-elf echoed lovingly as they continued to ride to Windhelm.


	8. Message to Windhelm

It was an odd sensation of déjà vu for KaNack as he walked through Windhelm with Brelyna by his side. The last time the two had come to the city, they were assaulted and the Argonian had ended up behind bars. Oddly enough, however, it was this city that started a chain of events that eventually led the reptile to his true calling.

The Aretino boy had set him on the path of the Dark Brotherhood and now the mage was the Listener for the guild of assassins. Who knew what would have happened had he decided to simply leave Windhelm and return to the school that day.

Would Cicero have ended up being killed? Would Buddy still be collecting dust on a shelf somewhere? Would the Falkreath sanctuary still exist?

None of these questions mattered in the slightest anymore, because KaNack did not decide to return to Winterhold and now the Dark Brotherhood was on the path to glory once more. How the Argonian longed to go to Dawnstar and see his friend the jester or even summon up his Spectral Assassin. Neither was possible at the moment though. The mage was needed by the Imperial Army and he had butted heads with the spirit too many times over the issue regarding the Empire to feel comfortable conjuring him.

The caster looked to his wife and smiled. Brelyna looked so funny carrying Balgruuf's great axe in her tiny grey hands. Large melee weapons did not suit her in the slightest.

"Do you want me to carry that, dear?"

"I don't trust you facing Ulfric with a sharp weapon, KaNack," she muttered as she gave the Argonian a frustrated look. "Promise me you won't instigate anything. Let's just deliver the axe, get the jarl's answer and leave."

"I'll do my best, but you've known me long enough to understand that I might not be able to hold my tongue around that man."

The mages walked up the stairs towards the Palace of the Kings and were promptly stopped by two guards by the doors.

"Halt! State your business, Argonian!" one of the soldier's barked.

"We are here to deliver a message to Ulfric Stormcloak from the jarl of Whiterun," the Dragonborn answered patiently. "I think it would be in your best interest if you let us see him."

"Whiterun?" the other man asked as he turned to the other. "Look at the axe the Elf is holding. We'd better let them in."

"Let a Gray-Skin and Argonian into the Palace of the Kings?" remarked the other in shock.

"Tradition states that the messengers must be allowed to pass through! We can't ignore that simply because they are of a lesser race!"

KaNack's eyes narrowed and he started to remember why he tried desperately to avoid coming to Windhelm at all costs. He resisted the urge to FUS the pair of infuriating Nords and instead patiently waited for the guards to move to the side and allow the mages access to the palace.

This was the second time the Dragonborn had ever been inside the castle of Windhelm, but it still had the same atmosphere of stuffy pretentiousness and resentment; it was the complete opposite of the way he felt when he had entered Dragonsreach.

The Argonian tensed at the sight before him. There he was at the far end of the chamber. Ulfric Stormcloak was settled on his throne, looking rather disinterested as his second in command, Galmar Stone-Fist, addressed him.

"How long are you going to wait?" the housecarl growled at the Nord.

"You think I need to send Balgruuf a stronger message?" the jarl asked as he sat up straighter and gave the man a frustrated look.

"If by message you mean shoving a sword through his gullet."

"Well, the ice wolf hasn't changed in the slightest," KaNack whispered to Brelyna who simply nodded in response. The two started towards the throne as the Nords continued their conversation, completely obvious to their approach.

"Taking his city and leaving him in disgrace would make a more powerful statement, don't you think?" the jarl of Windhelm insisted to the Stormcloak commander. The man's blue eyes then lifted as he noticed the casters before him. "Galmar, we have guests," the man said as he gestured towards the two.

Stone-Fist turned around and his eyes narrowed at the sight of the two. The Nord, unlike the jarl, was not one whom would hide his true emotions towards people. If Galmar disliked someone, he let them know rather quickly.

"A gray-skin and a lizard are hardly guests," he muttered darkly as he crossed his arms and continued to glare at the two in disapproval of their presence. "It seems that the men out front will let just about anyone enter the Palace of the Kings these days."

The Argonian smirked as he pulled back the shroud of his head and beamed wickedly up at the jarl.

"Jarl Ulfric, once again we have been greeted by the famous charm of Windhelm. You really have not changed the way your city is run in the slightest, have you?"

The Nord stirred as he took in the face of the Argonian before him. "Galmar," he started quietly. "Does this mage look familiar to you?"

"All lizards look the same to me, Ulfric," the man answered with a shrug.

"No. Those colors, I know I've seen those colors before," the jarl insisted as he rubbed at his chin and leaned closer to take in the sight of the black and red reptile. "Have we met before?"

A sinister chuckle started in KaNack throat and he lifted a fist triumphantly in the air.

"Long live the Empire," the Dragonborn said as he kept his eyes locked with Stormcloak's. Seeing the gesture caused a memory to spark in the man's head and the jarl sat up straighter as his eyes widened in shock.

"By Talos! It's can't be!" he exclaimed as he clutched the arms of his throne, unable to believe that the mage he thought he had killed was standing before him. "The reptile in Winterhold! I Shouted you to death!"

"Did you?" the caster asked as he gave himself a look over and patted at his chest. "No, I seem to be fairly alive."

"Wait," hissed Galmar as he pointed a finger at him. "I do remember you now! If you are still alive after being Shouted at, that means you're...!"

The Argonian extended his arm as he bowed dramatically.

"KaNack of Black Marsh," he introduced himself before looking up to give the two an evil smirk. "You might know me better as Dovahkiin, however."

Brelyna rolled her eyes and elbowed her husband in the ribs causing him to stand up straight.

"This is you not stirring up trouble?" she grumbled at him. "This is the same nonsense that got you thrown in the barracks years ago!"

"No! Defending your honor got me thrown in the barracks," he whispered to her angrily.

"So," Ulfric growled as he settled back into his throne and glared at the mages before him. "It turns out I had found the Dragonborn all those years ago. I should have realized that no one would be so foolish as to speak to me in such a way less they knew that could survive my Shout." A smile suddenly crossed the jarl's lips as he nodded his head in approval. "You were cleverer than I thought, Dovahkiin."

"Dragonborn or not, he's still a milk-drinking coward!" Stone-Fist stated as he unsheathed the large axe on his back. "I will kill him for you now if you give the command!"

"Galmar, do you not see what is in the Dunmer's hands?" Ulfric pointed towards Brelyna. "She is obviously a mage, but is carrying an axe. Someone has sent us a message. So long as they do not physically attack us, we must honor our traditions and not harm either of these two."

The second in command let out a guttural growl as he reluctantly replaced the large battle axe into its sheath on his back. Ulfric returned his stony look to the casters and gestured for them to explain themselves.

"Very well, Dragonborn. You have my attention."

"We come on behalf of Jarl Balgruuf the Greater of Whiterun," the Argonian answered as Brelyna cautiously approached the Nord and held the axe out to him. "He has asked us to deliver his axe to you. I assume you know what this means?"

Stormcloak gently took the axe from the Dunmer and looked over it grimly. "Ah, I see. You are brave to carry such a message here. I had hoped as a fellow Nord that Balgruuf would have been willing to see me as an ally."

"To Oblivion with that man!" snapped Galmar as he shot the mages a smug look. "All of the jarls will change their minds once my men return with your prize!"

"Are you speaking of the Jagged Crown?" KaNack asked as Brelyna returned to his side.

Stone-Fist's expression dropped and he gazed at the reptile in disbelief.

"Ulfric, believe me. We did you a favor by keeping that crown from you!" the mage insisted with a shrug and shake of his head. "That thing smelled horrible and was ugly as sin! All it would have done was make you High King of the tacky hats."

"You insolent, disrespectful, son of a bitch!" Galmar snarled as he started towards the mages who stood their ground. His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as he glowered at them. "How dare you speak to the jarl of Windhelm in such a way? I should strike you down where you stand!"

"Are you trying to scare us? Do you thinking stomping around and screaming is the way to make an impression?" Brelyna hissed as she crossed her arms and scowled at the Nord before her. "Just because you wear a bear on your back doesn't mean you need to act like one."

A satisfied grin formed on the Argonian's face as his wife finally had enough and was through putting up with the Stormcloak's nonsense. The Dunmer clearly was just as annoyed by the Nords as he was.

Ulfric's grip on the axe's handle tightened, but then he rested it on his lap and gave the two casters a bitter look. "Dragonborn, if you and the Dunmer continue to insult my housecarl and myself, I will soon be in my right to throw you two in the Bloodworks. You have come into my home and therefore I am owed your respect."

"He's right, KaNack," Brelyna said as she turned to her husband. "We're representing General Tullius and the Empire. We can't allow our personal feelings to get in the way and make them look bad."

"General Tullius? It seems the Legion is recruiting anyone with a pulse," the commander grumbled as he returned to his jarl's side. "How am I to take them seriously when they wear golden necklaces like fair maidens?"

The reptile's lip curled up in a snarl as he approached the housecarl and held up the amulet for him to see.

"This is no mere necklace, Nord," he insisted as he gave the commander a fierce look. "This is a pendent of the Winterhold Five! Know that should you ever come across one who is in possession of it, you would do well to approach that person with caution."

"KaNack!" Brelyna hissed grabbing her husband's attention. "Get back here!"

The reptile was about to comply when Stone-Fist grabbed the pendant and pulled it closer, dragging the Dragonborn with it.

"What is this? An eye with a dragon in it? Why am I supposed to be afraid? Because it means I am facing a mage?" the commander snorted as he scowled at the Dovahkiin. "I eat Legionaries for breakfast and wipe my ass with casters of magic!"

The housecarl shoved the Argonian away and the mage slowly backtracked towards his wife all the while shooting the commander a deadly look.

"You should have kept quiet," she growled. "Their not knowing that the Legion had mages is what has given us the advantage so far."

"They know that they have mages just by us being here," the reptile answered sharply.

"You talk too much," the Dunmer insisted. "Sometimes I wish I could sew that trap of yours shut."

"The Winterhold Five?" the jarl said as he tapped at the axe as though bored. "There is a reason there are no songs of glory relating to the deeds of magical casters, Dragonborn. Mages are too weak to make any significant difference in battle."

"Is that confidence or an attempt to cover your fear?" KaNack asked as his tail twitched. "I seem to remember you and Galmar fleeing Winterhold when confronted with a few of the instructors from the college."

"I am no coward, but I am also not a fool," Ulfric answered sharply as he gave the mage an icy stare.

"Do you want the Stormcloaks to pay your school a visit to prove themselves, reptile?" Stone-Fist asked with a vicious smirk. "Maybe laying waste to a few mages will show you just how feeble they are."

"Winterhold is already under our control, Galmar," sighed the jarl as he rubbed at his eyes. "I am not going to waste men out of personal spite." The Nord once again took the axe in his hands and stared at it. "We have a much more important matter to deal with at the moment."

"You are right, my friend," the commander began as he stared at his jarl, "it seems Balgruuf has made his choice regarding whom he is siding with in this war. We will have to make an example out of the man in order to get the other jarls to fall in line."

"I have not yet made my decision," the Nord remarked quietly. "The man's axe is still in my possession." The rebel leader gave the casters before him a tired look. "I must know, Dragonborn. Why did you return to General Tullius?" he asked simply. "That Imperial is the one who put you in danger when you were still young and unready. He bullied you and forced you to work for him without so much as giving you anything return."

"General Tullius isn't the one who is ostracizing the beast and elf races of Skyrim," the mage answered simply. "You keep Argonians out of Windhelm and the parts you allow the Dark Elves to reside are pitiful at best!"

"This still?" the jarl of Windhelm muttered in frustration. "Do you even have the slightest idea why I keep the races separated?" The Nord pointed at him angrily. "The Dunmeri enslaved the Argonian race and there is vicious racial tension between the two because of it!"

"Racial tension?" Brelyna spoke up suddenly as she narrowed her eyes. "KaNack is my husband! None of my family members have any resentment towards the residents of Black Marsh! Stop using our race's history as a cover to your bigoted nature!"

"A Dark Elf and an Argonian married?" remarked Stone-Fist in disgust. "By Talos, do Skyrim a favor and do not produce any offspring."

"I will cram that ugly bear skin down your throat, Nord!" the reptile barked as his hands smoked momentarily before he shot a daggered look back to the jarl. "THIS is why I am with the Imperials, Ulfric! This is not acceptable treatment of the races in Skyrim!"

"Does it not bother you in the slightest that Tullius bends to the whims of the Thalmor? That he knowingly allows them to go out and hunt down men, women and children simply because they choose to worship their deity Talos?"

"How is what you do any different, Ulfric?" growled the Dunmer. "Your Stormcloaks go out and attack any Elf they happen to come upon! They see your hatred of us and act upon it tenfold! Our kind is at risk because you allow your men to have free reign to act as harsh or as cruel as they desire! You complain the Thalmor hunt you because of your deity? Your men hunt US down because of our race!"

"You ignore the pleas of any who are not of Nordic blood while you eagerly help those whom you see fit to call the TRUE sons of Skyrim. You think the Thalmor are bias? You should take a good long look in the mirror, because you are no different than them, King slayer," KaNack remarked grimly.

Ulfric leaned forward in his throne and gave the two a dark look.

"King slayer? I challenged that man to a duel in the old Nord ways and he lost! I am tired of being called a murderer when all I did was prove to the people how weak Skyrim had become after years of being under the Imperial ruling!"

"You used your Shout to win that duel! If you had any sense of honor, you would have fought him without using your voice!" hissed the mage. "That was like setting a wolf against a dragon in a fight! Stop trying to defend your actions, Ulfric."

"What else did Tullius keep from you?" the Nord asked angrily. "Did he not tell you that when I fought for the Legion, I was imprisoned by the Thalmor? How I could not attend my own father's funeral because I was being tortured by that Altmer witch he rubs elbows with? The final stab in the back was when the Imperial took away my right to worship Talos! Who in Oblivion are these outsiders or those Elves to tell me whom I can and can't worship in my own damn country? I loved the Imperial Legion and they ended up turning their backs on Skyrim in the end, and for what? Gold!" he snarled in disgust. "You claim I am the enemy, but I am merely trying to protect my people and their rights!"

The jarl stood up and stared at the two furiously. "The Thalmor are a curse upon this land and will resume being so as long as the Empire is in control! Have you even taken one moment to stop and think who the real threat to Skyrim is?" The Nord sank back in his throne. "You think that defeating me will make Skyrim a better place? You think those Thalmor give a damn about anyone outside of themselves? The Stormcloaks are the only ones standing in the way of those Elves taking over and destroying this land that I love!"

"Hear! Hear!" Galmar exclaimed loudly as he nodded in approval.

"This isn't about me being High King for my own selfish needs! It's for my people's very survival! This is our home! We built these castles and cities with our own hands! If the Imperials win, then the Thalmor will take control of everything! I will not allow my people to suffer so long as I draw breath! Look me in the eye and tell me that I am the enemy of Skyrim for trying to protect my own!"

Brelyna looked over at her husband in concern and could see that the Argonian was thinking over what Stormcloak had told him. The mage let out a deep sigh as he shook his head.

"I have to admit, Ulfric," he began quietly. "You certainly do have a way with words." He then gave the Nord a resentful stare. "Nothing changes the fact that deep within you are still a cold-hearted racist. Maybe the Thalmor truly are the enemy, maybe not. All I know is I have seen the face of the Empire and there was nothing but tolerance for all the races and a great love for this land. You think that just because someone is not a Nord that they can't feel a sense of devotion for Skyrim? That is the EXACT reason why you cannot become the High King!"

A slight snarl curled up on the Nord's lips as he scowled at the Argonian before him.

"You spew your honeyed words about how this land belongs to the true sons of Skyrim, the Nords and how you are fighting to protect them. What about the elves outside the Thalmor? What about the beast races? What about everyone else who lives in Skyrim? Lovely speech, Stormcloak, but you couldn't even bring yourself to speak kindly of any outside your precious Nordic race! Not even to coax me to your side!" The Dragonborn scoffed as he glared furiously at the jarl. "Years later and you still fail to convince me that you are anything other than a racist tyrant."

Ulfric shot up from his throne and hurled the axe across the throne room with all his strength. The two mages jumped as the weapon crashed loudly to the ground and made a horrid scraping sound as it skidded across the floor. Even Galmar was taken aback by the rebel leader's sudden violent action.

"You return this damn axe to the man who sent it and tell him to prepare to entertain visitors!" the jarl of Windhelm roared at the two casters. "I expect a great deal of excitement in the city of Whiterun in the near future." He pointed a finger angrily at the two. "Just like King Torygg, I will show the people of Skyrim that when the jarls drink the milk of the Empire they become weak! The Empire and the jarls who back them must be swept away! The people demand it and I demand it!"

The Dunmer took a few wary steps behind her husband, but the reptile remained where he was. His white eyes narrowed as he scowled hatefully at Ulfric.

"We'll be seeing you soon then," KaNack stated as forced himself to smirk once more at the jarl of Windhelm.

"Sooner than you think," Ulfric growled in a guttural tone as he slid back into his throne.

"You best be leaving, mages," Stone-Fist insisted as he removed his axe from its sheath and a he shot the two a cruel smile. "You don't want to be late to your own massacre, do you?"

The Argonian narrowed his eyes and gave his wife a gentle nudge backwards. "Get the axe, I'll keep an eye on them."

The Dark Elf hurried to the back to grab Balgruuf's axe as the Dragonborn kept his eyes locked on the two Nords, not trusting to turn his back towards them while tension was still high. It wasn't until the mages were once again outside the Palace of the Kings that, the Argonian turned around and the two rushed towards the gates of Windhelm.

"We won't be invited back here anytime soon," KaNack smirked as he ran alongside the she-elf.

"I can't believe I allowed myself to get so angry in there!" she exclaimed in frustration and embarrassment. "Tullius will be furious when he finds out how we handled ourselves in front of Ulfric."

"He doesn't have to know," the conjurer said as he pushed open the doors of Windhelm for his wife. "The way I see it, we came to the Palace of the Kings, gave the jarl the axe and he returned it. End of story."

"Do you not care at all that there might be consequences for your actions?!" the Mer snapped in frustration.

"If I did, I'd never get anything done!" he laughed. "Now come on, we have an axe to return and a battle to prepare for."


	9. Song of the Mages

The two mages were quite surprised at the scene they came upon when they finally reached Whiterun. Imperial soldiers were already outside the gates setting up large wooden barricades. By the looks of how much had been prepared, the soldiers must have at least arrived the previous day.

"What are they doing here?" Brelyna asked as she kept the axe gripped tightly in her hands. "We haven't even delivered Ulfric's response yet."

One of the legionnaires stopped working long enough to address the casters.

"Good, you're back! Head inside to Dragonsreach. Jarl Balgruuf is there waiting to speak to you."

Once inside the stronghold, the Argonian had an even better idea of just serious the Imperial Army was taking the threat being placed on Whiterun. City guards were answering the question of the townsfolk while even more Imperial soldiers ran about carrying supplies and fresh weapons that had been crafted by the smiths at the Warmaiden's.

"Did Tullius take it upon himself to come here?"Brelyna wondered aloud as she watched the men rush about the narrow streets. The reptile quickened his pace to a light run as he started up the stairs to the jarl's palace. Surely a man as honorable as the General wouldn't have forced his way into the town to provide Balgruuf with the extra support he needed to fight off the rebels?

Pushing open the large doors of Dragonsreach, KaNack rushed towards the throne where Balgruuf was conferring with his steward and housecarl.

"Jarl Balgruuf!" the Argonian announced as he and his wife came to a halt before the man. "We delivered your message to Ulfric Stormcloak as you requested."

The Nord shook his head sadly when he saw the weapon in the Dark Elf's hands. "And you come bearing my axe. I knew this was going to be his response," stated the man grimly as he accepted the axe from the she-elf. "I sent my message out to Solitude shortly after you left. I realized that Ulfric is not a man who would take my siding with the Empire kindly."

"That explains all the Legionnaires prowling the city," the mage said as his tail swished from side to side. "The jarl of Windhelm made it quite clear to me that he will be sending his Stormcloaks here to take the city. I fear he also plans to try and make an example out of you to the other jarls who may wish to side with the Empire."

"I have no doubt," Balgruuf answered as his brow furrowed. "There are many here in Whiterun who support both sides in this war. The Gray-Manes and Battle-Borns have come to blows on more than one occasion regarding the matter. My only hope is that they can keep themselves out of the conflict when the Stormcloaks arrive."

"Leave the bickering civilians to me and the guards, Balgruuf," Irileth insisted as she patted the hilt of her sword to emphasize her point. "We'll make sure they keep themselves out of trouble. Lydia is keeping an eye on things in the Bannered Mare."

"That poor woman. Tempers are sure to be riled with the presence of these soldiers."

Hearing the name of his former housecarl caused the Dragonborn to stir. He had no reason to think that Lydia would not still be living in Whiterun. He owed the Nord so much as she saved his scaly hide on multiple occasions when he was still new in Skyrim.

"Tullius sent his Legates Rikke and Cipius to help organize the soldiers and prepare a strategy to keep Ulfric's men outside the walls of my city if at all possible," the jarl explained as he rubbed his eyes, tired and nervous about the threat looming over Whiterun. "I pray that the gods will be watching over us all when the horn of battle is blown." He gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "Thank you for going to Windhelm on my behalf, confronting Ulfric is not an easy feat."

"The pleasure was mine, jarl," the reptile insisted before turning to leave the palace with his wife. Even with the knowledge that Stormcloaks were on their way to try and take Whiterun, KaNack's mind was still on that of Lydia. Irileth had mentioned that she was stationed at the city's inn, it would be downright disrespectful if he did not at least make an attempt to apologize to the housecarl for running away after all she had done for him.

Winter was coming upon Skyrim and the brisk northern winds chilled the Argonian straight to the bone. His apprehension grew as he saw the familiar sign of the Bannered Mare before him. This was where he had learned from his Spectral Assassin about the Thrill of the Hunt and also where he made the traitor who ordered the Emperor's death suffer for his betrayal. There were so many memories regarding this small inn, and many of them involved death in some way.

As soon as the Dragonborn entered the inn, he could practically taste the tension in the air. There were men in Imperial armor settled at tables about the room as well as a few civilians whose names KaNack had long since forgotten. Angry looks were being shot from side to side as there was a definite split of allegiances in the building.

Then he saw her, hidden off in a shadowed corner, arms crossed and eyes focused on the task she had been assigned with. Lydia did not look like she had changed a bit since the mage had last seen her. The Nord was still wearing strong steel plated armor with no helm. She was tough, serious and strong, but still had a soft and fair-looking face.

"There she is," the Dovahkiin whispered to his wife as he pointed the housecarl out to her. "That's Lydia." Brelyna squinted as she tried to see the woman better in the dim light.

"I had no idea she was so...big," the Dunmer remarked not really being able to think of a better word. Lydia had yet to notice the Dovahkiin as she had her attention on the Battle-Born and Gray-Mane who were shooting dark looks to one another.

"KaNack!"

The two mages jumped at the sudden call and turned to see that the three remaining members of the Winterhold Five were settled at the bar and waving them over. Suddenly all eyes were upon them and the couple felt more than a little uncomfortable as all the conversation came to a halt.

Whispers began to break the silence and the reptile could pick up specifics such as 'Dragonborn' 'Shouts and 'legend'. KaNack cleared his throat and sped towards the bar to join the rest of his friends, no longer feeling comfortable approaching Lydia when the inn was filled with judging Nords.

"Balgruuf didn't waste any time getting reinforcements," the Nordic mage said quietly as he stared into his tankard of ale, too nervous to even drink. "I can only assume that the meeting with you and Ulfric did not end with him desiring peace?"

"I'm no fool," the Argonian said quietly as he stared at his clasped claws. "I knew going in that the man was not going to stand idly by while the jarls started to turn against him."

"All these years and you aren't even going to say hello?"

The Winterhold Five turned and KaNack swallowed as he found himself staring into the lovely sky blue eyes of his former protector. Lydia towered over all of them, even Onmund, but past the stern look, the mage could see hurt in her eyes.

"Lydia, you are looking well."

"I'm not even going to bother asking where you were. I'm sure you have already had to tell the tale enough and you more than likely had your reasons," she replied gently as she continued to stare down at the man who was once her thane.

KaNack sighed and turned so that he was completely facing the housecarl. "I told you that I wasn't ready to be the Dragonborn, Lydia. I told you I wanted to go to Winterhold." He looked down sadly. "I guess I should thank you. You knew where I was the whole time, but you never told a soul."

"My duty was to you and as far as I am concerned still is," the Nord replied simply.

Lydia had never laughed and rarely smiled when she had been with the reptile. However, he still knew that she cared about him. It was relieving to know that while everyone was busy telling him what to do and who he was supposed to be, the housecarl was always just there for him. Not to order him about, but keep him safe and protected.

"I know that it was not easy for you," she said with a shake of her head. "Seeing you here now and ready to fight and take on your duties like a man makes all the waiting worthwhile." A smirk crossed her lips as she reached forward and pressed a finger to his temple and shoved his head back slightly. "I am still quite frustrated with you, however."

"Who is your tall friend?" J'Zargo asked as he looked the housecarl up and down.

"Guys, this is Lydia. Lydia, meet my friends from Winterhold College," the red and black caster said as he gestured from the Nord to his allies. He then took Brelyna's hand and kissed it. "This is my lovely wife, Brelyna."

"KaNack told me about you," the Dunmer said to the armored woman with a smile. "He had nothing but praise for you and your abilities."

"How he managed to live this long without me rushing it to stab something is beyond me," the housecarl stated with a smile. "Balgruuf told me that you are all part of the Imperial Legion now. You and the General's auxiliaries have had quite an impact here in Whiterun."

"Did you see how many of Tullius men are here?" Brelas asked as she sipped from her tankard. "There has to be at least thirty Imperial soldiers." The Bosmer bumped her shoulder playfully into Onmund's to get his attention. "I hope they save some fun for us."

"There is plenty of glory to be had," J'Zargo insisted with a smirk as his whiskers twitched in anticipation. "A Stormcloak will fall to J'Zargo's lightning before he ever steps foot in this city."

"Guys," grumbled the Dovahkiin as he looked over his shoulder and saw angry looks directed towards them from a Nord in the back. "I don't think this is the place to be discussing this."

"What are you afraid of?" the Wood Elf snickered as she tapped at her empty tankard which was quickly filled by the barmaid. "Whiterun had sided with the Empire; we can talk all we want about the oaf of Windhelm and his loyal hounds."

"Hear! Hear!" a voice cheered from the back.

The Winterhold Five and Lydia turned around and saw a large Nord raising his own tankard in the casters' direction. He was a blond in Imperial armor and a wide smile was almost hidden under his scruffy facial hair.

"It's about time that jarl realized a lost cause when he saw one," said the man with a grin plastered on his face. "Finally we're going to show that rebel scum what true sons of Skyrim are capable of!"

"Hold that snaked tongue of yours, Idolaf!" an older Nord in the back snarled as he stood up from his seat. The man had graying hair and wore fancy robes, but the two sitting with him were large, burly and rather imposing looking Nords in strong armor. "You damn milk drinkers don't understand what Ulfric and the Stormcloaks stand for! They are fighting to get rid of the weak leaders and their Elven overlords!"

"Vignar, you said you weren't going to cause a scene!" one of the armored Nords exclaimed, slamming his tankard on the table.

"Ah, you see," Idolaf snorted as he gestured towards the furious elder. "Damn Gray-Manes and their devotion to a pack of traitors and cowards! I would have expected nothing less!"

"The Empire handed this land of ours to the Elves! They would have all of us in servitude to the Thalmor if they were given enough gold!" the Gray-Mane shouted as he moved towards the blond Nord.

"Let the old man fight, Vilkas," snorted the other Nord at the table. "He's been fuming all day and I'm sick of him taking it out on the Companions."

"Enough!" a furious feminine voice shouted causing all the yelling to come to an abrupt halt. Lydia stormed forward and placed herself between the two men and drew her sword. The housecarl's eyes shot back and forth between the two Nords angrily. "I was assigned by Balgruuf to keep the peace and that includes making sure that the rivalry of your clans stays under control. A great fight in upon us and we don't need grown men squabbling like children and interfering with the real soldiers out there!"

"I was a real soldier!" Gray-Mane growled as he shot the woman a venomous look. "Until the Empire decided to turn its back on Skyrim and her people! The Battle-Borns are not better and don't think my family isn't aware of just how far you've gone to bowing down to the Thalmor's whims!"

"Damn it all! Farkas, grab him!"

The two Nords rushed forward and each took a hold of Vignar's arms right before he tried to launch himself at Idolaf.

"That's enough, old man!" Vilkas demanded as he pulled the furious elder back.

"Vignar, you're embarrassing yourself," Lydia sighed as she gave the Gray-Mane a tired look. "Go home."

"I was about to leave anyway, housecarl," Vignar hissed as he pulled away from the twins and started for the door. "I refuse to drink the same ale with those who turn their backs on this land!"

A low rumble sounded in Vilkas' throat as he watched the Gray-Mane storm out of the Bannered Mare, slamming the door loudly behind him.

"We should have just stayed in Jorrvaskr," Vilkas muttered as he scratched at his head. "I knew that presence of the Legionnaires was going to upset him."

"Tensions between those two have always been high," Lydia insisted to the larger man. "We aren't going to judge all the Companions because of him."

"He's an embarrassment is what he is," the Nord insisted in frustration. Vilkas stepped away from his twin and approached the housecarl who was still brandishing her weapon. "Lydia, the Companions have no intention of interfering with this battle. Whiterun is our home and we are loyal to it. You can't ignore the fact though that there are still a few of us who feel that our lives are threatened by these..." he glanced over at the mages at the bar, "...Thalmor supporters."

"You are a true Nord as well, aren't you Lydia?" Farkas asked. "You cannot possibly be happy with all these milk drinkers invading our territory."

"Territory? I didn't realize the Companions have been marking Whiterun outside of Jorrvaskr," the woman stated in a stiff voice as she gave the man a cold look. "I don't care if these soldiers support the Thalmor or not." The woman said as she sheathed her blade. "I can't allow personal opinions to interfere with my duty. The Imperial soldiers are here to protect this city and that is all that matters."

"Them? Look whom they rely on in a fight," Farkas grinned as he glanced over at the mages. "They rely on weak magic instead of strong steel. True fighters depend on strength and not tricky sorcery."

There was a loud crack as the Dragonborn's tankard slammed down hard on the counter and he turned to give the Nord a disgruntled look. "Are you saying that we can't fight?" KaNack asked the Companion as he scowled. "You know, I am getting more than a little sick of you Nords and your perception that mages are useless on the battlefield."

"Oh, of course! I seem to forget all the songs of honor and glory relating to the casters of magic!" Farkas laughed before his brother cuffed him hard on the back of his head. The man growled as he rubbed the impacted area and shot his brother a dark look.

Vilkas was doing his best to try and keep the Companions in line, but it was getting much more difficult with the presence of so many Imperialists. Vignar was a handful himself, but the Gray-Mane's tension had rubbed off on his impulsive twin and now his brother was itching to fight someone.

"So what if there are no songs of valor for the casters of spells?" the Companion snarled. He punched the Nord in the shoulder when he saw that Farkas was still looking back at the mages. "Will you stop trying to pick a fight, whelp?"

"We actually do have a song for the College of Winterhold," Onmund insisted patiently as he continued to tap at his full tankard. Both the Companions and Lydia turned to give the man a quizzical look as he had been very quiet until now. "It's not much, but we're rather proud of it."

The other four casters turned to the larger mage and both of the elves flushed as they realized what song their friend was speaking of. The other patrons in the Bannered Mare began to murmur as none of them were aware of any songs relating to the casters of magic.

"Let's hear it then!" Idolaf insisted as he raised his mug of ale with a grin. "Any supporter of the Empire is a friend of mine! Sing your song, mage!"

"It's not really about battles or honor," Brelyna explained as her gray cheeks turned a hint of pink. They were in front of a group of strangers and she didn't feel comfortable singing their song before them. "It's just a drinking song that the five of us came up with as students."

"You're all drinking, are you not?" Lydia asked suddenly as she rested her hands on hips and shot the Winterhold Five a look. "I'd actually like to hear a song about magic casters. It would be a nice change of pace from the usual banter of swords, axes and head decapitations."

"J'Zargo has only sung the song in the Frozen Hearth and in the presence of other mages," the Khajiit insisted as his ears flattened. It seemed almost all of the wizards were not eager to perform before the Nords that filled the inn.

Vilkas rolled his eyes and he took a seat at his table to resume eating his venison. It was now ice cold, which only made the Companion more frustrated. It did not make matters any easier that his brother still seemed insistent on picking on the sorcerers; his twin never was the smart one in the family.

"Don't be shy, mages!" Farkas insisted as he extended an arm to the group. "Regale us all with the great song of Winterhold College that was composed in a tavern. Is it not appropriate to sing a song of glory prior to battle?" The barbarian could sense the apprehension coming off the casters. The Companion picked it up as weakness, his instincts were telling him to go after the easy prey.

"Farkas! Leave them be!" the brother snarled at his fellow Circle member pulling his twin's focus from the Winterhold Five.

"Bah!" the man growled as he turned his back on the casters and returned to his brother. "This just proves that there is no glorious song of the mages. Not even these milk drinkers have enough pride to sing it."

Hearing this, Onmund's eyes narrowed and he picked up his tankard and quickly gulped down all its contents. With the ale in his system, he rose from his seat and started towards the Companion member. The eyes of everyone in the Bannered Mare followed after him as he approached Farkas. A few were unsure if the mage was going to fight the Companion or not, but if he did, they wondered who would come out victorious in that fight. A trained mage of Winterhold or a fierce fighter from Jorrvaskr?

"Onmund?" Brelas asked as her body tensed up at the sight of her lover approaching the much larger Nord from behind. Surely the gentle mage wasn't going to try and fight the barbarian?

Sensing someone behind him, Farkas spun around and his lip curled up in a snarl. The Companion was staring into the icy blue eyes of the caster. The larger Nord had believed that the smaller son of Skyrim had meant to challenge him to a brawl, and his hand reached back to grasp the hilt of his large sword.

"Do you have something to say to me, little Nord?" Farkas asked in a guttural tone that dared the mage to do something that would invoke a fight. The Companion was taken aback as Onmund smirked at him and took a few steps back so that he was in the center of the room.

"Actually, I do," he said as he turned to give his friend a wink. The mage then stomped his foot to the floor in a rhythmic beat and clapped his hands together before he began to sing proudly before the patrons of the Bannered Mare.

"_**In the town of Winterhold! Where the lands are steep and the air is cold!  
There's a place where the mages roam, and proudly call their home!**_"

The remaining members of the Winterhold Five tensed up as they realized that their friend had began to sing the mage anthem they had written together before leaving the school. Onmund was neither nervous nor embarrassed as he recited the lyrics loudly and with confidence. This was not the shy and quiet gentle giant of a mage they remembered; perhaps it was the fact he drank a tankard of mead in less than five seconds gave him such self-assurance.

"_**Look to the lights that touch the sky! That shines like a Khajiit's eye!  
Cross the bridge and you will find! The wisest of our kind!**_"

The Nord looked back to his friends with a grin and they could see that Onmund was willing to prove to the Companions and everyone else in the inn that songs of mages did exist and should be sung loudly and for all to hear. If shy Onmund was brave enough to perform before strangers, so were they!

"_**Man, beast race and the elf! Learn to improve their magic self!**_" Brelas sang suddenly as she rose to her feet and joined her lover's side.

"_**Shooting fire, sparks and ice! Those who cross us pay the price!**_" J'Zargo added as he hurried over to join the two.

Brelyna smiled at her husband before she left and joined the Bosmer and wrapped an arm around her best friend's shoulder singing the next lyric. "_**Never doubt a wizard's power! Your poor souls we can devour!**_"

KaNack jumped from his spot and rushed forward pointing a claw in Farkas' face as a maniacal grin crossed the reptile's lips. "_**You have muscles we have smarts! Fear the wrath of Arcane Arts!**_"

The Dragonborn backtracked from the Companion and he and Onmund faced each other as they continued to sing loudly with the other mages.

"_**Summoning spirits from the planes, magicka flows through our veins!  
Casting spells in the dead of night! Clairvoyance and bright magelight!  
Wielding staffs with great might and grand scrolls shall we write!  
Whether to heal or subdue! Strong potions we can brew!**_"

Onmund's hand illuminated as he cast a spell on himself that caused his body to glow a light blue in color.

"_**Alteration is for those, whom can't take the deadly blows!**_"

J'Zargo claws radiated a bright red color that was his fear casting spell.

"_**Illusion belongs to the mage with skill, to bend others to his will!**_"

"**_Conjuration brings forth friends_****,**" KaNack sang as he summoned his spectral wolf, Fang.

"_**The gift of Restoration mends!**_" Brelyna continued as her gray hands lit up in a golden color.

"_**Once Destruction has been cast, no foe can survive the blast!**_" Brelas finished as a ball of flame materialized in her palms.

J'Zargo grabbed the barmaid and pulled her into the group as the mages began to turn and dance with one another exchanging partners as they continued to sing.

"_**In the land of Winterhold! There is young and there is old!  
But friendships that unfold are greater than all gold!**_"

Hulda managed to pull herself away from the group, but that did not deter them as they lined up alongside one another, arms wrapped around shoulders and waists to emphasize their unity and devotion.

"_**Walking tall and full of pride! Mighty Julianos is our guide!  
In this school we reside, standing side-by-side!**_"

"HUZZAH!" the casters all exclaimed as one as they raised their fists triumphantly in the air.

The Bannered Mare was suddenly deafened by applause and cheering. The patrons enjoyed the mages' performance, entertained by both the song and the display of their powers. Even Vilkas and Lydia politely clapped their hands in appreciation. Farkas grumbled under his breath as he took a seat next to his brother and downed his ale seemingly not impressed by the Winterhold Five's show.

"A fine song! A fine song indeed!" Battle-Born laughed as he raised his tankard to the mages. "Hulda! Next round of drinks for the casters of Winterhold are on me!"

"Wow, we should sing this in more taverns," the Bosmer giggled as she practically skipped back to the bar, eager to receive her free ale. KaNack patted his hip and his familiar trotted loyally by his side as the Argonian and the other mages returned to the bar to take advantage of Idolaf's generosity.

Singing the anthem they had written for the school filled the Winterhold Five with a newfound sense of worth and pride. Mages were wise and possessed powers beyond that of normal mortal men. Many considered them useless in battle and weak simply because they did not fight with weapons or armor. For too long there had been songs written only about great warriors or mighty leaders of men; hopefully with the efforts of the five casters, they would change all that.

As soon as the wizards' tankards had been refilled by the barmaid, the five lifted their tankards high in the air in a toast.

"To the College of Winterhold! May songs forever be sung in its glorious name!" Onmund announced loudly as he held his freshly filled tankard of ale highly in the air. The other clinked their drinks together and once again downed them

"Go easy there!" Lydia exclaimed as she observed the group. "Stormcloaks could arrive any day now and you'll be useless to us drunk!"

"Ease up there, Lydia!" laughed Vilkas. "Some of the best fights I've been in took place with a gut filled with ale." The Nord smirked over at his twin who was still grumbling. "What's the matter, Farkas? Upset because you got shown up by a pack of small mages?" the Nord asked as he punched his brother in the shoulder

"Don't act like they defeated me in combat. All they did was put on a magic show with some colorful lights, that is not the same thing as attaining victory in battle."

Farkas growled and his eyes glowed slightly as his brother ruffled his hair. "You and your temper. Look at you, trying to pick a fight with anything with a pulse." The Companion looked back over at the mages and gestured towards the spirit by the Dragonborn's side. "Look, Farkas. His spirit familiar is a wolf."

"So?" the Nord grumbled as he brushed back his hair that had been disheveled by his sibling. "Mages can summon spirits, it's nothing special."

"While you were always off working on your muscles, I took the time to read up on battle tactics. Mage conjurations can tell you a lot about the way they handle themselves in a fight. A bear would mean they work better alone and rely on harsh sudden tactics. A saber cat means they prefer to stalk up from behind and then attack relentlessly."

The Companion gestured his head back to the Winterhold Five. "The fact that he summoned a wolf means that he has the mindset of one," Vilkas explained as he looked over at the Argonian who was still laughing and drinking with the other casters. "That means his strategy is to travel in a pack in order to overtake his enemies. By looks of the group he is traveling with and their numbers, he has assembled one deadly pack."

"You read too much," Farkas snorted with a shake of his head. "You're just like those casters filling your head with knowledge. It's a good thing that unlike them, you still have some strength to rely on."

"Better to have head filled with knowledge than filled with rocks, brother," the Nord laughed.

* * *

**Author's Notes: If you want to hear the College of Winterhold Anthem, you can hear me singing it here: www . twitch . tv / gangyzgirl /c/ 1607427 the spaces are because I have had issues publishing links in the past. **


	10. Battle For Whiterun

Lydia had generously allowed the five casters to spend the night in Breezehome, which for years had been solely the housecarl's property. It was surreal for the Argonian to once again be sleeping under the roof of the place that had been his home when he was just beginning his duties as the newly named Dragonborn.

Aside from a sword or two that the Nord had displayed on the weapon's rack, not much had changed since the mage had last been inside. The alchemy lab was still set up and the chest was packed full of ingredients that had been collected. The table however had collected dust due to years of disuse.

The Winterhold Five had been drunk on ale and no other rooms were available for them to sleep in. Lydia's sense of duty to her former thane prevented her from allowing him or his friends to sleep outside where one could wake up in a drunken stupor and cause trouble with his or her casting ability.

The mages were allowed to share the large master chambers on the top floor, while Lydia slept in the small guest room since it was only going to be for a night. After much debate and a number of petty childish games, the girls and Onmund had won the privilege to sleep on the bed while J'Zargo and KaNack had to use the floor with their bedrolls.

Early the following morning, the casters were ripped from their slumber by a loud banging sound which was the door of Breezehome being slammed open.

"Up! Wake up, all of you!" a booming voice shouted in the small residence.

KaNack and J'Zargo's heads picked up and the three casters on the bed tried to untangle themselves from the heavy blanket in order to see what the commotion was all about.

As Dragonborn was rubbing the sleep from his eyes, a heavy armored Imperial stormed into their room looking both frantic and angry. The intruder glowered when he saw that Brelas seemed to be stuck half on the bed and half on the floor while the others had failed to even get into a standing position.

"Good morning?" the Bosmer mumbled as she stared up at the man in confusion.

"Dammit, auxiliaries, get your asses up!" he thundered furiously.

The five scrambled to get out of their beds and lined themselves up in front of the strange man, wearing nothing more than the underclothes that they had slept in. Onmund managed a salute as he tried to suppress a yawn.

"Reporting for duty, Officer…." KaNack began and then paused when he realized that he had no idea who the man in front of him was or if he even was a part of the Imperial Legion.

"Legate Cipius!" he snapped as he began to pace before the mages. "The Stormcloaks are here in force! Get down to the front lines! This is it! We must hold the city!"

This bit of news was more than enough to wake up the members of the Winterhold Five. Ulfric had not been bluffing when he said that the Stormcloaks would be coming sooner than they had thought. Whiterun was under attack and the mages were needed on the battlefield!

The five rushed to their different knapsacks, pulling out their enchanted shrouds as they readied themselves for the fight.

"Tell us where we're needed!" KaNack exclaimed as he pulled the hood of his cloak over his head.

"We need men on the front line to hold off the rebels and keep them from entering and opening the drawbridge! If they get that bridge down, everyone in the city will be at the mercy of those traitorous soldiers!" Cipius shouted loudly as he impatiently waited for the frenzied mages to dress themselves. "I hope I didn't interrupt your beauty rest!" he sneered at them.

"It's not like we had a wakeup call alerting us to the Stormcloaks' arrival!" Brelas retorted bitterly as she draped her enchanted amulet around her neck.

"I can fight and heal the wounded," Brelyna offered as she hurried forward to stand before the Legate.

"Good to hear! Now move! Show those Stormcloaks what real soldiers are!"

"Yes, sir!" the five shouted at once and rushed past the Imperial, now properly dressed and ready to fight to keep Whiterun and its people safe from Ulfric's forces.

"Stormcloaks! Finally!" laughed J'Zargo as he was the first one to rush out the door.

What they came upon once on the streets was most unsettling. Citizens were running through the streets to seek shelter in to their homes while Imperial soldiers raced forward and out the large gated doors towards the battlefield. The Winterhold Five hurried after them and found Legate Rikke at the top of platform addressing the Legionnaires.

A loud whistling caused the group to look away from their officer and upward. Horror washed over their faces as a large flaming projectile flew overheard and struck down in the middle of the city.

"They have catapults!" Onmund gasped as he saw smoke rising over the stone walls of Whiterun where the object had landed.

"Well, I think we know our first priority," KaNack hissed before turning to the elves. The Legate was most likely handing out orders or giving some kind of speech, but the Dragonborn chose to ignore whatever Rikke was saying and take matters into his own hands. "Brelas! You and Brelyna help the Imperials hold off the front lines! The rest of us are going out there and try to destroy those devices before they ruin the city!"

"Got it!" the Bosmer agreed. She stood on her toes to peck the Nord on his cheek. "If you die out there, I'll kill you," she threatened before hurrying off to join the other soldiers who were rushing off to face the Stormcloak invaders.

"I love you too?" the Nord mumbled as he watched his lover run off.

Brelyna turned back to KaNack and grabbed his hand, deciding to give him a less aggressive farewell.

"Be careful, my love," she whispered, her ruby eyes wide with fear.

"Don't worry about us, Brelyna. Just look out for those soldiers. They are going to need you if they get hurt out there."

"Yes, J'Zargo is not afraid to fight a whole army," snickered the Khajiit. "This is what J'Zargo has been waiting for!"

The mages charged down the long pathway, running around barricades until they finally reached the front lines. There were more Stormcloaks than they had expected. Many were fighting Imperials in the front and there were more in the distance, setting off catapults to weaken the city. Brelas was already fighting side-by-side with her fellow soldiers, shooting her fire at the oncoming forces.

As KaNack reached into his satchel and pulled out a white potion bottle, the other two male mages did likewise.

"This won't keep us invisible very long, try and find a good vantage point when you can hit the catapults but keep out of site of Ulfric's men. Understand?"

"Not a problem," the Nord insisted.

"Shame your focus is on frost spells, Onmund," J'Zargo laughed. "That kind of puts you at a disadvantage against the Stormcloaks."

"Oh, shut up."

The three casters downed their potions and at once vanished from sight. The Dragonborn could no longer see his fellow mages and now they were on their own. The Argonian raced out onto the fields of Whiterun, fleeing past incoming Stormcloaks who were unaware of his presence. In the distance, the reptile saw the catapults. There were three that had been set up; if they could destroy those, it would keep the residents of Whiterun safe as the Legion fought to keep the rebels out.

Finding cover behind a large boulder, KaNack could feel the potion was beginning to wear off and his body took a corporeal form. Gazing over the edge of the rock, the mage saw that the catapults weren't too far from where he was. There was no sign of either Onmund or J'Zargo, but that was a good thing. If he couldn't see them, neither could the Stormcloaks.

"Don't let up!" a gruff voice demanded. "Keep firing! I want to see those walls crumble!"

It was Galmar; the Stormcloak commander was directing the men who were controlling the destructive machines. The Nord watched impatiently as his soldiers loaded the catapults and set the projectiles on fire.

The mage's hand began to glow a deep blue as he concentrated on his conjuration. "Okay, April," he whispered. "Show these Stormcloaks how it feels to play with fire." He cast the spell in the middle of the soldiers so that a flame atronach sprouted from seemingly nowhere.

"By almighty Talos! Where did that come from?!" one exclaimed. April wasted no time as she propelled fire into any soldier that she laid eyes upon, knocking them to the ground and keeping them from activating the catapult.

"Damn mages! They're here!" Stone-Fist snarled as he unsheathed his axe and sprang forward crashing his weapon hard into the back of the atronach, making her hover back and wilt as though in pain. The Dovahkiin winced as he could sense her sudden fear and insecurity. April was upset and she would have a horrid end if she stayed in the plane. The Argonian quickly dismissed her, just as Galmar swung his axe a second time.

There was a deafening crack of lightning and volts shot out from the distance, striking down a few of Ulfric's men in the process. The Stormcloaks scrambled to their feet and away from the catapults as they drew their weapons and huddled close, unnerved by their unseen assailants.

"Galmar! What witchcraft is this?"

"It's only mages! You can kill them in one strike!" the commander screamed as he started towards a catapult to activate it himself. "Find them and kill them! Those Imperials are relying on weak magic, but we will show them just how powerful true warriors of Skyrim are!"

The commander reached forward to pull the device's lever when there was a swirl of blue mist and in its wake was a large frost thrall. The reptile's scaly lips curled up in a smirk; this wasn't Brock. Nords resisted frost, but the atronach was still tough as Oblivion and could pack a very powerful punch. Galmar backtracked as the conjuration swung one of its arms at him and stood guard in front of the catapult.

"Good idea, Onmund," KaNack snickered as he prepared another conjuration spell. Casting the energy forward, a second frost thrall, Brock, appeared next to the other. Brock began to smash his powerful arms into the catapult. The wood started to crack from the strikes as Onmund's conjuration rushed at Stone-Fist to attack.

"No! Guard the catapults!" Galmar commanded as he avoided the swing of the conjuration's arms and swung his axe into its back.

The Dragonborn stirred when he saw the Khajiit mage appear suddenly behind the second catapult. The feline must have consumed a second potion in order to get closer to the contraptions.

"You stupid cat, what are you doing there?" the Dovahkiin growled under his breath.

J'Zargo held up his claws and lightning sparked from his fingers, severing the coiled rope and rending the device useless.

"One of the mages! Kill him quickly! They are destroying everything!" Galmar ordered as he struck his axe once more into the frost thrall, causing it to collapse into a pile of ash. The Stormcloaks drew their swords and started towards J'Zargo as their commander began to strike his axe into Brock, causing the thrall to stop attempting to demolish the machine.

J'Zargo shot lighting at the approaching soldiers as he scrambled backward, realizing that in his effort to ruin one of the catapults, he had left himself open to the furious army.

"Damn it all, J'Zargo." KaNack raced out from behind the boulder and hurried forward as he sucked in a deep breath. "YOL TOOR SHUL!"

Fire erupted from the Argonian's mouth setting a number of the Stormcloaks ablaze. The men ran about and began rolling on the ground as the flames easily penetrated their weak armor. The Khajiit joined his friend's side and leaned into his casting position.

"Thanks, Lizard Wizard!"

KaNack grumbled as a fireball materialized in his claws and he shot it at the weakened catapult that Brock had been hitting, causing the device to crack and splinter. Now there was only one active machine left in the rebel's artillery. The reptile hoped that Brelyna and Brelas were faring just as well back at the barricades.

"Talos smite you!" a Stormcloak announced proudly as he swung his blade at the Argonian, only to be blocked by a ward cast.

"It's the Dragonborn! Forget the fleabag! Kill him! KILL HIM!" Galmar screamed furiously as he pointed his axe in KaNack's direction.

"Making friends everywhere you go?" the Khajiit smirked as the two kept their wards up and began to backtrack as more rebel soldiers swung blades at them. Onmund had yet to make his appearance, but the reptile knew better than to think that the Nord would just remain off on the sidelines.

"Fools! Cower before the wrath of the Winterhold Five!" KaNack shouted as he kept his ward up with one hand and he shot his other palm forward casting a charge of magelight, blinding the soldiers that were in their faces.

"Fools? Cower?" J'Zargo laughed as he shot his lightning, knocking the dazed Stormcloaks off their feet. "What are you? Some kind of storybook villain?"

The reptile's eyes widened as he saw Stone-Fist coming at them with his axe. "Look out!" The Argonian held up both claws to cast a ward just as the commander swung his weapon. The blow was so mighty that it knocked KaNack off his feet and he stumbled back into J'Zargo, causing the feline to fall as well.

The Dragonborn grunted as he felt a heavy boot stomp down hard onto his ribs knocking the wind out of him. Just by the pain alone he could tell that they had been bruised. The caster stared up into the bloodshot eyes of the enraged Stormcloak commander.

"It ends here," he growled darkly. "For generations, songs will be sung of the mighty Galmar who took down the Dragonborn with one swing of his legendary axe."

"You'll have to swing again. That makes two," KaNack smirked. "Did your mommy not teach you math, Galmar? Or are all Stormcloaks as dumb as you?"

Galmar's lips curled up in a snarl as he raised his weapon.

"Obnoxious to the end, eh? I'll silence that mouth of yours once and for all!" A ball of fire crashed into the commander causing him to stagger slightly, but his boot remained planted on the reptile's chest. The Nord's head shot from side to side as he tried to see where the attack had come from."What in Oblivion was that?"

With Ulfric's second in command distracted, the pinned mage saw his opportunity to strike. "FUS RO DAH!"

Stone-Fist was sent hurling backwards in the air from the force of KaNack's Thu'um and collapsed into a heap a good distance away. The two mages struggled to their feet in time to see their gentle giant hurrying over to them.

"Are you all okay?!" Onmund asked frantically as he clasped a hand on both their shoulders to look them over.

"J'Zargo is unhurt, but the Lizard Wizard chose some rather unique last words," the Khajiit muttered as he glared at his fellow caster. KaNack only chuckled in response.

The remaining Stormcloaks had decided to abandon the catapults. Some started to flee the battle scene while others headed for Whiterun, deciding to try their luck facing soldiers who didn't have the power of the Arcane Arts. Little did they know that the lovely Mer duo would be up there waiting for them.

The Nordic mage made his way over to the final catapult and cast a flame spell until the wood of the device finally lit up and slowly began to burn into kindling. "That's the last of them!"

"Great! Now all we need to do is deal with that bear skinned fetcher," the Argonian replied as he turned to where he had left Galmar. A frown formed on the reptile's face when he saw that the Stormcloak commander was nowhere to be seen.

"Where did he go?" J'Zargo muttered as he scratched at an ear. "He couldn't have recovered from a Shout that quickly."

"He's Ulfric's second in command," KaNack grumbled as Onmund rejoined the group. "Ulfric knew that I was with the Imperials and most likely trained him to be able to withstand the Thu'um Unrelenting Force."

"Let him go," Onmund sighed. "He can tell Ulfric all the details of how they were bested by a pack of magic casters." The Nord turned to face Whiterun. "Besides, the Legion still needs us up there, as do Brelyna and Brelas."

The three hurried back towards the city, leaving the ruined catapults behind them. When they reached the barricades, they saw that the Stormcloaks had made it past and were fighting the auxiliaries for access. Legate Rikke noticed the three and kicked away a Stormcloak before hurrying to them.

"Mages! Where were you?!" she exclaimed furiously.

"Disabling the catapults!" Onmund insisted.

"Fair enough," she grumbled before pointing off to where the drawbridge was. "The enemy has broken through and is trying to lower the drawbridge! Your elves are holding them off, but I don't know how much longer they can keep it up!"

"We'll stop them! None of Ulfric's men are going to step foot in this city!" KaNack proclaimed before he and his fellow mages hurried through the mass of fighting bodies to reach the tower where the gears for the drawbridge were located.

Onmund and J'Zargo shot oncoming soldiers out of their way as they worked their way up wooden stairwell. Once at the top, they found Brelas and Brelyna trying to defend the mechanism that would allow the bridge to be lowered. Both Mers had their wards cast in order to keep the Stormcloaks from releasing the bridge and granting Ulfric's men access to the city.

"Hold on, Brelas!" the Nord cried out as he forced his way to the front of the pack and actively shouldered into the Stormcloaks before him, knocking them off the side. He was much smaller, but there was little room on the platform and the forceful shoving was enough to even knock the large soldiers to the side.

At the top of the drawbridge platform, J'Zargo hurried to Brelyna and shot lightning, propelling the attacking rebels backwards and sending them tumbling down the stairwell.

"Are either of you hurt?" KaNack asked as the five stood guard at the top and remained in their casting positions as the rebels below began to recover from their blows.

The Argonian looked over his spouse carefully. Her gray skin was much paler than normal and the Wood Elf didn't look much better. Having to use magicka for such an extended period of time could wear down even the mightiest of mages. He had no idea how long it would take the two to recover their magicka, but judging by their fatigue, it wasn't going to be anytime soon. Beads of sweat were dripping from Brelyna's brow and she was hunched over having weakened herself from having to keep her ward cast during the Stormcloaks' assault.

"A few deep bruises, but nothing I can't fix," the Dunmer answered softly. "Thank Julianos that you came when you did! I don't think Brelas and I have much more left in us!"

"I think one of them got me with something sharp, but I didn't have time to inspect the wound," the Bosmer panted as she practically collapsed into Onmund's arms. The Nord looked over the Wood Elf carefully and saw that her leg was bleeding slightly, but the wound was superficial.

"You two have done enough, just rest," the Nord said calmly, trying to keep his emotions in check. The last thing he wanted to do was lose his temper like he had back in the bandit camp.

The elves settled back and tried to recover from their tiring battle. They were both fatigued and mere moments away from dropping their guard and granting the rebels access to the drawbridge.

"Pitiful milk drinkers! Your women may have held us off so far! But we will be lowering that drawbridge! Whiterun is ours!"

"You want it? Come claim it!" the Argonian challenged as he bore his sharp teeth at the rebels below.

A few more Stormcloaks appeared from the side. The quivers and bows on their backs alerted the mages that things had just become more complicated. They produced their bows and aimed at the casters above them.

"Oh, J'Zargo does not like archers," the Khajiit grumbled as he summoned a ward in one of his hands as the other crackled with electricity.

The mages kept their wards up as a barrage of arrows came flying towards them. "Onmund, think you can do that scary Shout of yours again?" Brelas asked as she remained behind the protective ward of her lover.

"One, I don't know if it works on other Nords," the mage hissed. "Two, it's not just something I can do on a whim!"

"I can," KaNack announced as his white eyes narrowed at the archers below him. He took in a deep breath and waited until none of the archers had an arrow drawn before releasing his powerful Thu'um.

"FAAS!"

It was a fairly new Word that the Argonian had learned, but it had become very useful in scaring off unwanted confrontation. The Shout struck back the archers and at once, they dropped their bows and flew from the scene.

"The noise! I can't take it!" one cried.

"Run for your lives!"

"Where are you going?!" another soldier who had been unaffected by the Shout exclaimed in frustration. There were still eight of them left and they felt that was more than enough to take the mages down. "Forget those cowards! Take the bridge! For Ulfric! For Skyrim!"

The remaining Stormcloaks held their weapons high and let out a bellowing battle cry as they charged up the opposite stairwells to reach the drawbridge's gears. Onmund and J'Zargo struck two of the Nords off the platform with a single lighting volt strike. The one coming towards KaNack had managed to acquire an Imperial shield during the battle and was using it to block the caster's magic. The Dragonborn's claws began to glow as he focused on his spell casting and summoned his faithful wolf familiar.

"Get them, Fang!"

The wolf howled loudly and charged up the left stairwell and sank his ethereal canines into the leg of one of the rebels. The shield may have been defending the front, but there was nothing guarding the Stormcloaks' backs. The attacked Nord stumbled and toppled over the side of the platform landing on his head. The fact that he didn't get back up confirmed to the mages that they had one less enemy to deal with. Fang snarled angrily as he pounced and snapped at the other man who was threatening his beloved caster.

Onmund allowed one of the Stormcloaks to get too close and grabbed onto the wrists of the soldier trying to hold him back as best his physical strength would allow him. The other rebel managed to squeeze past the two and began to strike at one of the two ropes that were keeping the drawbridge up.

J'Zargo produced a ball of lightning between his palms and released the devastating charge into the Nord and the man fell off the platform, releasing a horrible scream before hitting the ground. The other soldier head butted Onmund, steel making contact with unprotected skin. The large caster released his grip and staggered momentarily before the Stormcloak grabbed him by his shrouds and flung him to the ground below.

The Wood Elf watched in shock as she saw her lover collapse in a heap onto the hard earth below. She glared at the Stormcloak furiously as fire consumed her hands. "You'll pay for that, you fetcher!" Brelas hissed before she projected the flames brought forth from her anger into the chest of the soldier sending him flying back, engulfed in fire.

The attack had taken a lot out of the Elf as she barely had been given a proper amount of time to recover. The only reason she had managed to pull off the spell was the blessed amulet that the Dragonborn had given her.

There was a horrible snap and the Khajiit and Bosmer turned and saw that the damaged rope had broken and now the only thing that separated the Stormcloaks from Whiterun was the single remaining gear. The soldier that had been on Brelas' side had now joined the other two in an attempt to break the remaining mechanism. There was pitiful yelp as the Nord drove his sword into the spectral wolf and Fang vanished into a fine mist.

KaNack grimaced as he felt the pain of his lost familiar, but that was but a momentary distraction. His face twisted into a grimace as he cast electricity at the Stormcloaks. The soldiers were huddled together and edging ever closer to the top of the bridge's platform.

"Someone has to go to Onmund!" Brelas exclaimed as she looked down at the fallen caster who was weakly struggling to his feet. "Brelyna?!"

"I'll try," the Mer muttered as she struggled to stand up, only to collapse under her own weight. "I'm sorry, Brelas, I'm still too weak."

"She hasn't recovered enough to heal herself! She can't heal Onmund!" the Dragonborn insisted as both he and J'Zargo continued to cast spells at the Stormcloaks. They managed to knock one off, but the other two remained behind the protective shield. "Dammit, Whiterun will not fall to Ulfric Stormcloak!" he howled at the approaching enemies.

"Magic is no good so long as they block with that shield," J'Zargo growled as his blue eyes narrowed to slits. The Khajiit stopped casting and took a few steps back.

"J'Zargo, what are you doing?" the Dunmer asked as she saw the fur of his tail begin to bristle.

"The only thing I can do," the cat growled. The feline charged forward and slammed his shoulder hard into the shield of the Stormcloaks, knocking them backwards and lowering the protective barrier slightly.

The Argonian summoned a fireball in his claws and cast the spell forward, sending the exposed guard with the shield over the edge of the stairwell. The remaining rebel looked down and found himself staring into the haunting eyes of the furious Khajiit.

"Mage beats might!"

The caster's claws crackled loudly and thunderbolt erupted from his palms instantly killing the Nord before him. With the final Stormcloak dead, the mages collapsed into a heap on the top of the platform.

"Did we win?" a voice called up to them. The four looked down and saw Onmund sitting crossed legged amongst the dead Stormcloaks gazing up at them with a grin.

A bellowing roar of cheering sounded in the distance. KaNack stood up and looked over the side to see a few Stormcloaks retreating Whiterun while the Imperial soldiers and city guards banged their swords against their shields and continued to shout in victory.

"Yeah, I think we did, Onmund," the reptile remarked with a smirk. They had held off Ulfric's troops and now Whiterun was an ally to the Imperial Legion.

Brelyna, starting to feel her strength returning, cast a quick restoration spell on herself and then on her fellow Mer. "Legate Rikke will probably want to see us," the Dunmer said quietly as she got to her feet. "We'd better go."

The four descended the stairwell and approached Onmund who was still sitting on the ground downing a healing potion. There was an ugly black bruise on his forehead; other than that there were no other visible injuries.

"You keep drinking those things at this rate and you're going to become addicted," Brelas chuckled as she kneeled down to wrap her arms around the Nord.

"People keep hitting me!" the mage grumbled. "We're kind of in a war here."

"J'Zargo can heal you," the cat said as his claws began to glow a gold color.

"Don't you dare!" Onmund was quick to rise to his feet and stagger away from the Khajiit, causing the rest of the Winterhold Five to burst out into laughter.

The Wood Elf allowed her lover to lean on her as the casters made their way down the path to where the other soldiers had gathered. High on a raised platform was Legate Rikke, Jarl Balgruuf and his housecarl, Irileth.

"Revel in your victory here today," the jarl began as he addressed the remaining men and women that had defended his city, "even as the gods revel in your honor! They already sing of your valor and skill! The halls of Sovngarde are no doubt ringing with your praises!"

"Hmmph, what about J'Zargo?" the cat grumbled. "Sovngarde isn't for Khajiits."

"Most of the people who fought here were Imperials," Brelyna added.

"Sovngarde honors all those who have proven themselves in battle," Onmund insisted as a small smile formed on his face. "Just because you can't go to Shor's realm doesn't mean your victories aren't sung in the great halls."

"Well that's encouraging," KaNack muttered as he kept his eyes locked on Balgruuf.

"In defeating these Stormcloak traitors, you have proven the hollowness of their cause and the fullness of your hearts! The citizens of Whiterun are forever in your debt! But Ulfric will not stop here. No, he will continue to strike out against any true Nord who remains faithful to the Empire!"

The Argonian turned his head to gaze at Onmund. His friend was focusing on the words of the jarl of Whiterun. The Dragonborn could not help but think of his gentle giant when Balgruuf spoke of Nords faithful to the Empire. Onmund was not only a mage, but a faithful Imperial soldier. If that wasn't enough to stir some bitterness in the jarl of Windhelm, he didn't know what would.

"Ulfric will continue to sow discord and chaos wherever he can! And so we must, each one of us, continue to fight this insurrection, lest our fallen brothers have died for naught! Lest our honor be lessened should we allow these bloodthirsty beasts to prowl our lands! Carry on men, my gratitude and blessings go with you! For Whiterun! For the Empire!"

"Long live the Empire!" the mages all shouted as one.

Once the speech was over and the men began to disperse, the Dragonborn turned back to his companions.

"Galmar was on the battlefield," the mage said as his eyes narrowed. "No doubt he's going to run back to Windhelm with his tail between his legs from this defeat."

"And spread the word of the Winterhold Five!" J'Zargo laughed as he formed a fist. "We were outnumbered and still those Stormcloaks fell to us!"

"What I'd give to be in the Palace of the Kings when Ulfric's lackey has to give the jarl his report," Brelas remarked as she crossed her arms and looked more than a little proud of herself. "I bet you the oaf will Shout Stone-Fist so much that he'll be bouncing across the walls!"

"Mages!" The Winterhold Five turned to the call. Legate Rikke was making her way over to the group. She looked slightly battered, but if she was in any kind of pain the woman was hiding it well. The Nord paused before the casters and gave them an impressed look.

"Elves, you held off that barrage of Stormcloaks for a very long time. That is no easy feat when all you have to rely on is your magic. Even now the drawbridge remains raised. If it had fallen, no doubt innocent lives in Whiterun would have been lost to those traitors." Rikke nodded her head in approval. "We were so busy focusing on the frontlines that we didn't even think about those catapults that were decimating the city. We didn't, but you all did."

"We were assigned to defend Whiterun and its people," KaNack explained humbly as he bowed his head to the Legate. "We were only following our orders, nothing more."

"I would have lost multiple men in this fight if not for the Dunmer's restoration spells. I could tell by the way you handled yourselves outside the city and guarding the drawbridge that you are devoted to serving the Empire." The Legate gave the five a solemn look. "You'd all die before fleeing in the midst of battle, wouldn't you?"

"We took an oath," Onmund muttered proudly. "One does not take an oath lightly, Legate."

"Nords don't, no," she agreed. "Neither do your friends." The woman gave them a warm smile. "I had my doubts about you five, but clearly you have proven that mages are an invaluable asset on the battlefield. Much of this victory is owed to you with your quick thinking and use of the Arcane Arts. Now that Whiterun is on our side, we have finally dug the blade in deep into the jarl of Windhelm's side. He'll see just how big a threat we are, I have no doubt that it will only become more intense from here."

"And odds are as word gets around that he'll be directing his men to focus their attention on us in the battlefield," Brelyna stated as she leaned against her husband. "When KaNack and I went to Windhelm, he became aware that there were mages in the Imperial Legion." KaNack wrapped an arm around her to hold his spouse close. "He knows about the Winterhold Five."

"Does he know you all specifically?" the Legate asked.

"Me and Brelyna, yes," KaNack answered. "Galmar saw J'Zargo on the battlefield. I don't think there were any surviving Stormcloaks that were aware of Onmund or Brelas yet. He definitely knows there are five of us though."

"J'Zargo is happy about this!" the cat stated. "Let the name of the Winterhold Five send chills down the spines of any who are traitors to this land!"

"Enjoy your victory, Winterhold Five," the woman declared as she gazed upon them proudly. "You have earned the right to boast about your participation in this fight!" She gestured back to Whiterun. "You should head back in and get some rest. I want you all to return to Solitude in the morning to receive further orders from General Tullius. I will be sending him a messenger hawk relating to your courage and support in this battle."

"You think the next time we see him he might be in a good mood then?" Brelas smirked.

"We haven't won yet, auxiliary." She once again gestured to Whiterun. "Now head inside and rest up with the other men. The jarl has told me personally that in gratitude for the Imperial assistance he will cover all expenses for the food and drink of Legion soldiers."

"J'Zargo thinks that the jarl does not realize that the Bosmer can drink an entire treasury in one sitting," the Khajiit snickered. He grunted and rubbed the back of his head when the Wood Elf smacked him hard. "Aye yi! I'm still sore!"

KaNack rolled his eyes as he looked upwards and shook his head. His friends had gone through a grueling battle, yet they still all retained their playfully personalities. He hoped that they would remain that way; war had a nasty habit of changing people.

"Let's go, guys." The Argonian motioned them to follow as he started towards the large gates that led to Whiterun.

"Oh! Dragonborn!"

KaNack turned around to look back at Rikke.

"The Imperial Army is honored to once again having you fighting by our side." The Nord then saluted the reptile who returned the gesture.

"Rikke, the honor is all mine."


	11. Kynesgrove

"General Tullius!"

The Imperial turned and smiled when he saw the Dragonborn approaching him.

"KaNack, welcome back. I read Rikke's report about how the battle in Whiterun went. Not a single civilian was lost thanks to you and your fellow casters disarming those catapults and defending the drawbridge. Well done, auxiliary." The man gestured for the Argonian to come closer and gestured to the map spread out before him. "Now that we have Whiterun supporting the Imperial Legion, the next step is to conquer the regions that are still under Stormcloak's influence."

The Argonian looked down at the parchment for a closer look and saw blue and red flags spread about the map of Skyrim. Tullius had been in the works of a strategy to slowly take back the land from Ulfric by defeating the Stormcloaks one territory at a time.

"The Rift and the Pale are still under the jarl of Windhelm's control, but hopefully we can change all that." The General nodded his head as he gazed at the display proudly. "As we speak, Rikke and her troops are fighting to overtake a few Stormcloak fortresses in order to weaken the Rebellion's forces. She will be far too busy with her new assignments to work with you, but I have another Legate located in the Pale that will serve as your new officer. Well, you and those other four casters."

"Our new officer?" KaNack turned to Tullius with wide eyes. "You mean you managed to find a regiment that has room for all five of us? We're going to be kept together?"

"Of course," the older man answered. "It was clear by what Rikke mentioned in her report that breaking up the Winterhold Five would be a mistake." The older man smiled as he gave the reptile a sideways look. "Whiterun was just the beginning, KaNack. Ulfric will now see that the Empire is making its move to drive his men out of Skyrim. We have to start overtaking his forts and camps while he is still recovering from his recent loss."

The silver-haired Imperial held out his hand. "Give me your map, Dragonborn." The Argonian complied and the General marked a spot in the Pale for him. "Here is where you will find the Imperial camp where your new superior officer, Legate Decimus, is operating. Once you get there, he will be the one whom you will all be receiving your orders. You will now be reporting directly to this Legate instead of me once you complete your missions."

Taking the map back, KaNack was slightly disappointed at the news. He had hoped that he would be able to keep working under the direct orders of the General himself. However, if this reassignment meant that he and his friends would be able to stay together, than he was willing to follow the commands of this Legate Decimus.

"You best get going, auxiliary. We have a lot of territory to conquer and your new regiment is awaiting the arrival of Winterhold's finest."

The caster chuckled as he bowed politely to Tullius. "We will not disappoint you, General. You'll be kicking down the walls of Windhelm before you know it." He saluted the man as he stood up tall and proud. "Long live the Empire!"

"Long live the Empire."

The Argonian hurried out to rejoin the rest of his friends to let them know the good news. The mage had been so worried that eventually, due to their numbers, they would have been broken up across Skyrim. Thanks to this new regiment they had been assigned to, the Winterhold Five was going to remain intact for the remainder of the war.

Upon exiting the building, the mage saw that he wasn't the only one who had been interested in speaking to his companions. Three Thalmor representatives were standing before his friends and discussing something that looked like it had everyone on edge. There were two tall males and a rather pompous looking female whom the reptile HAD seen before. She was Elenwen, First Emissary of the Thalmor Embassy. Their headquarters was located right next to Castle Dour so it was not surprising for her to be in Solitude, but she was not one to make idle chit chat.

KaNack had never seen the Thalmor as anything more than snooty elves; after hearing what Ulfric had to say about the faction, the reptile could not help but feel that there was a more sinister side to Elenwen and her soldiers than the General was aware of.

"You have to understand that at this point in the war one cannot be too careful," Elenwen explained as she kept her eyes locked with Onmund's. "I've looked over your recruitment information and it said that you hailed from Kynesgrove."

"That is none too far from Windhelm," one of the Emissary's guards growled. "Ulfric Stormcloak has a great deal of influence there."

"I am a faithful soldier to the Empire, madam," the Nord answered in a firm but shaky voice. "Regardless of how your faction has treated us, I am still fighting for the Imperial army."

"Hey, mages, are we having a problem?" the reptile muttered as he rejoined the group, not liking the direction in which the conversation had been heading. Brelyna was relieved to see her husband huddled closer to his side.

"The Thalmor are questioning our gentle giant's loyalty," Brelas grumbled as she tightened her grip on Onmund's arm and glowered at the Emissary.

"You do realize that we're Legionnaires, don't you?" KaNack asked, grimacing.

"The Thalmor have only the Empire's best interest in mind," the Altmer remarked sharply. "Your friend hails from a village that has housed Talos worshippers and Stormcloak sympathizers. It's only natural to assume that there might be some bitterness towards the Empire residing within him."

"Believe me, I am well aware of the Thalmor and their history with Kynesgrove," Onmund answered through his teeth.

"That sounded like resentment," Elenwen sneered. A vile smile came across the High Elf's face when she noticed that despite his brave front, the Nord was clearly shaking.

"And that sounded like an accusation," J'Zargo hissed as his tail swished in frustration. The Khajiit was not happy that the Altmer was continuing to bully one that he considered a brother. "J'Zargo does not like you."

"We came to Tullius as a group. None of us would have taken that oath unless we were all loyal to the Empire." The Dragonborn's nostrils flared as he continued to scowl at the Emissary. "I think you should be focusing more on the Stormcloaks prowling the land and less on the soldiers fighting for the Empire you CLAIM to support."

"Hear me, Elenwen," the Nord uttered as he stared into the yellow eyes of the Elf who was significantly taller than himself. "My family never worshipped Talos. Julianos is my deity. Neither my family nor myself has done anything illegal."

The Nordic mage took a wary step back as Elenwen leaned towards him, judging him silently as she tried to read his face.

"No one said you did, my dear," the High Elf coolly insisted. "If you have nothing to hide, it is for the best to not act so guilty. You don't want to give anyone the wrong impression, do you?" Elenwen bowed her head politely to the group. "Mages, it's been a pleasure."

The elves walked around the Winterhold Five and disappeared into Castle Dour, most likely to discuss matters with the General.

KaNack let out a deep breath before returning his attention to his friends. "Well, they were just a barrel of laughs, weren't they? What in Oblivion was that all about?"

"Thalmor harassment of the Nords is nothing new in Skyrim, KaNack," Onmund muttered as he nuzzled Brelas' hair. "You can never be too careful about what you say around them." He shuddered and started out of the courtyard, the others following close behind.

Children playing a game of tag and shouts of vendors promoting their goods filled the air as the five mages of Winterhold traveled through the narrow streets of Solitude. The Nord still seemed visibly shaken by his encounter with the Thalmor Emissary.

"I never really paid much attention to Skyrim politics that didn't involve me personally," the reptile admitted. "Do the Thalmor treat all Nords like suspects, Onmund?"

"The Stormcloaks are bias against the elf and beast races; but what the Thalmor are is absolutely terrifying," he answered in a shaky voice.

"Terrifying?" The Argonian shrugged his shoulders dismissively. "I wouldn't say that. I mean, they are a little pompous, but…"

"You don't know the first thing about the Thalmor, KaNack!" the Nord snarled furiously as he got in the Dragonborn's face causing him to jump back. The large caster's blue eyes burned with anger as he pointed a finger at the reptile. "What in Oblivion makes you think you're such an expert? Huh?! How many years have you lived in Skyrim? Have you even spoken to any Nords about Elenwen and her vicious hounds? You have no idea just how ruthless these elves are!"

The large caster grunted as he turned away and rushed ahead of the others. The Nord practically kicked the gated doors of Solitude open as he stormed out of the city. The reptile could only blink dumbly. He knew he had said something insensitive and once again he had struck a nerve with his tall companion. Onmund had always been kind and patient, but as of late his temperament had been changing and he was much easier to aggravate. The war it seemed was having an impact on Winterhold's gentle giant.

"Real nice, Argonian," Brelas remarked nastily as she punched the reptile hard in the shoulder.

"Ow!" The scaled mage rubbed at the impacted area as the Bosmer hurried outside to catch up with Onmund. "Damn it all, when am I ever going to learn to keep my mouth shut?"

J'Zargo and Brelyna ran alongside the conjurer as he raced out of the capital and down the dirt path in order to catch up with the other two casters. The Wood Elf was already with her lover and trying to console him.

"Onmund!" KaNack came to a halt before the two and flinched at the angry look Brelas was giving him. The Nord, however, no longer seemed as offended as he had been moments prior.

"Look, I'm sorry I lost my temper in there," he said as he looked away shamefully. "You're an Argonian; you couldn't possibly have known what they had done. The Thalmor only ever focused their attention on Nords and no one else." Onmund turned and continued to walk down the road as his friends kept close to his side.

"Onmund," KaNack began, "Elenwen said that the Thalmor had gone to Kynesgrove in the past. I can tell by the look in your eye that you know exactly what she was talking about. What happened?"

"Can't you see you've upset him enough?" Brelas snapped at the Argonian. "Just leave it be."

"Brelas, it's fine," the larger mage insisted. "He should know what the Thalmor have done to the Nords of Skyrim. I see no better example than Kynesgrove." The Nord grumbled as he picked his head up slightly to address his companions as they continued to walk.

"To understand just how devastating they were, I have to start from the beginning, "he said quietly. "I was only a child at the time, less than ten years of age. Long before I realized that I had magicka flowing within my veins.

"My parents and I were good friends with another family in the village. They were good and hard working people just like us. I was best friends with their son, Brond; we spent so much time together that we were practically brothers. Our fathers would regularly take us out on long hunting trips, far from the lands protected by Kyne's blessings." A small smile formed on the Nord's face. "We would be out for close to a week shooting down elk with our bows. I've never seen my father as happy as when the four of us were on the hunt. Dad kept saying that Brond and I were going to be good providers for our families when we grew up."

"My family and Brond's had always been very close and helped each other one when one fell on hard times. Providing extra food in the winter or lending a horse when someone needed to leave the village for supplies, there was nothing either family would deny the other. Everything was just perfect in our little town."

The Nord frowned. "Then the elves came. No one in Kynesgrove had thought much about the Thalmor at first, we felt that so long as we didn't get in the way of their duties or worship Talos that we'd be left alone." There was a haunted look in Onmund's eyes as the memories came back to him.

"One afternoon a Thalmor showed up in town and claimed that he was merely there to make sure that there was no illegal activity happening, what with the village being a part of Eastmarch where Ulfric had ruling over. The Mer inspected all of our homes, but found an amulet of Talos on display in my friend's home." He shook his head furiously. "Brond's father tried to explain that it had been passed down for generations and like any proud Nord, he embraced his ancestry. They did not worship Talos; however, the amulet was merely kept as a token of respect. "

KaNack felt a chill run down his spine and could sense the apprehension of his friend.

"When the Altmer left we all thought that he accepted the man's explanation and the matter was settled. All of us resumed our chores as we normally did and shared stories around the fire, just like we always did. None of us had any idea the nightmare that was awaiting us all."

"A number of Thalmor soldiers returned in the middle of night and invaded Brond's home, dragging him and his parents out of the house in binds. The guards hurried over and tried to help them, but were quickly killed by the Altmer mages with their deadly lighting casts."

The mage paused and rested a hand against his head as though in disbelief. "The Thalmor killed the men who were there to protect us so easily and threatened to do the same to anyone else who intervened with their official duty. I wanted to run to my friend, but my parents held me back. My family could do nothing but watch on in horror as one of the Thalmor informed Brond's father that he and his family were guilty of the prohibited worship of Talos and were to come with them."

Onmund gritted his teeth and hissed quietly before continuing. "Who does that to a family? Who has the indecency to pull a child from his bed in the middle of the night and bind his hands like some common criminal? That informant knew they didn't worship Talos, but I'm sure that the amulet was just used as an excuse to prove a point to the power they held over the Nords." He shook his head and once again began to walk. "I've never felt as scared and helpless as I did when I watched those elves load Brond and his family into the wagon and get taken away to gods knows where. I don't know what became of my friend or his parents; all I know is that they never came back, the Nord's eyes narrowed. "The Thalmor did though; many times. Sometimes they took away a villager or two, sometimes they just came to intimidate us and make sure we realized that they were the ones in charge."

J'Zargo's ears flattened as he became aware as to just how nerve-racking it must have been for his friend to have his loyalties questioned by the High Elves. Who knows how close his friend might have been to being dragged off by the Thalmor.

"I thought they only went after Talos worshipping Stormcloaks," KaNack said quietly, noticing the anger and resentment in Onmund's normally kind eyes. "I had no idea they raided villages."

"Thanks to the White-Gold Concordant, Elenwen and her soldiers have the right to hound and hunt any who worship or are suspect of worshipping Talos," he snorted bitterly. "It didn't help that we lived so close to Ulfric's city where there was an active temple for Talos. Those Mer never let us be until Ulfric sent down Stormcloaks in such numbers that there were finally enough to fight off the Thalmor and keep them out of Kynesgrove. To this day, my village is still guarded, but there are so few of us left that the High Elves don't even bother coming trying to come there anymore."

"That's why they were suspicious of Onmund, KaNack" Brelas growled as she glared back at Solitude. "They think that because he's from Kynesgrove he is some kind of spy for the jarl of Windhelm. The Stormcloaks worked so hard to keep the Thalmor out, only enemies of the Empire could possibly have come from there as far as that witch is concerned."

"Growing up I had nightmares about Elenwen and her lackeys breaking down the doors of my home to take us away like they did Brond and his family," the Nord admitted sadly. "Fortunately they never came for us. Just the sight of those damned dark cloaks of theirs is enough to make my skin crawl though." Onmund breathed deeply as he thought of his past. "Before the Stormcloaks finally managed to keep Elenwen's men out, almost all our neighbors and friends had moved away just to avoid further persecution. My father wouldn't leave, he was too stubborn. I guess I am somewhat grateful to the Stormcloaks for being there to keep my parents safe from the Thalmor."

"Sounds to me that Elenwen and her troops are drunk on power," the Argonian remarked angrily. "I can't imagine after all what you went through that your parents were thrilled to hear you joined the Empire."

"KaNack, my parents and I haven't spoken to each other for the last four years," Onmund answered grimly. "The last time I heard from them was from a letter my mother wrote to make sure I made it to Winterhold in one piece."

"I knew you left on bad terms, I didn't realize that it had been that severe," the Dragonborn remarked as he gave his friend a sympathetic look. To present day the scaled mage wrote to his family back in Black Marsh, he couldn't imagine just having all ties cut with his kin.

"My mother wasn't so bad," the Nord insisted, "it was really my father who burned the bridge." Onmund forced himself to smile at his fellow mages. "It's okay, I expected that to be his reaction when he found out I was leaving home for Winterhold. He never was happy that his only son had magicka flowing through his veins like one of those damned elves. I could cast magic like the Thalmor that killed the guards trying to protect our friends. Sometimes the looks he gave me made me feel like he saw me as one of those Mer." He let out a soft laugh. "My father despises me enough. There was no need to reopen old wounds by telling him I joined the Legion."

"Onmund, why are you fighting for the Imperial army then?" Brelyna asked. "It sounds like you're just as angry about the Thalmor being here as Ulfric. The Empire works with them directly."

"Ulfric is a cold hearted bastard who only cares for himself and no one else," the Nord answered simply. "Should he become High King he might be able to rid us of Elenwen and the Thalmor, but then what about those outside of the Nordic race?"

The large caster came to a stop and turned to stare out at the Karth River. "It wouldn't stop with the Thalmor. Stormcloak would make it so that all the others races were ostracized as well. I have more elves and members of the beast race as friends than Nords. I would never support a man who would treat them the way the Thalmor have treated us."

Onmund tilted Brelas' head upwards before pressing his lips to hers and gazed upon her lovingly. "Unlike Ulfric, I never allowed my resentment of the Thalmor to embitter my heart and make me hate the elves like so many of his supporters. Elenwen and her soldiers are a matter to be dealt with in due time; for right now, all I am concerned with is seeing that the jarl of Windhelm is stopped."

J'Zargo whiskers twitched and he turned his head to the side noticing that they were next to the stables. "Eh, I don't want to be the one to break up the moment; but where are we going?"

The five casters stared at each other, equally confused. They had all been so caught up in the moment since their encounter with the Thalmor that they had not focused on the fact that only one of them knew what their new orders had been from General Tullius.

"By Julianos, I almost completely forgot!" the Argonian cried as he motioned for the others to gather close to him. "We've been assigned to a regiment in the Pale. We'll be working together under the command of a Legate Decimus."

"Who? I've never even heard of this Deci-whoever," the Wood Elf muttered as she flipped her hair back. "I would much rather work with Rikke. I think she and I were just starting to get along."

"J'Zargo agrees, he'd much rather take orders from someone he knows has our best interests in mind."

"Tullius is placing us with him because his troop is small enough that all of us can be placed in it. It's the only way for the Winterhold Five to be kept together during the war," the Dragonborn explained calmly to the others who seemed unnerved to be working under a complete stranger. "It was either him or we get broken up." He then crossed his arms and gave them a stern look. "Besides, these are our orders from the General himself. Did we not take an oath claiming unwavering obedience to our officers?"

The other four casters murmured in discouraging agreement.

"Come on, guys. General Tullius is counting on us to give our very best out there. We don't know this Legate Decimus now, but in due time I am sure that we'll find that there would be no one else we'd care to serve under. Now let's go! Big smiles!"

"What?" Onmund asked, confused by the Argonian's bizarre attempt to lift their spirits.

"Smile, dammit!" the reptile repeated as he grasped the Nord by the shoulders. "We're being sent to the Pale! We're going to drive out the Stormcloaks from the land and make sure that the school that has served as our home for the last four years and its students are released from the Rebellion's iron grasp! Let's make Tullius and Savos proud!"

" Yeah! Let's go!" the Bosmer exclaimed as she rushed to her horse and leaped onto its back before waving the others over. The mages grinned at one another as they hurried to mount their steeds. The Argonian backed Shadowmere out of her stall and made the horse rear up, releasing a loud whinny.

"To the Pale! For Winterhold! For the Empire! For Skyrim!"

"HUZZAH!"

With that, the five casters rode off to embark in the next chapter of their involvement in the Civil War. A new officer and set of soldiers to fight alongside with awaited them. So long as the Winterhold Five had each other though, they knew none of them would fall by the Rebellion's sword.


End file.
